


In a heartbeat

by sserpente



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Blood, Death, Depression, Dom Loki, F/M, Grief, Heartache, Jealousy, King Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Loki Needs a Hug, Loki smut, Self-Harm, Smut, Spoilers for Thor Ragnarok, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-01-29 21:49:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 72,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12639864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sserpente/pseuds/sserpente
Summary: Showing up on time for an important job interview is all you worry about when you rush through the streets of New York City on a sunny day, not expecting at all to bump into Thor, God of Thunder and his mischievous brother Loki. Before you know it, you get dragged right into a gruesome battle between two foreign realms and the atrocious menace of Ragnarök, confronted with breath-taking magic, terrifyingly hazardous threats and a fierce warrior who claims to be a Valkyrie. And as if this wasn’t enough already, you find yourself headfirst falling in love with the God of Mischief who, much to your disppointment, already seemed to have set his eyes on someone else, leaving you struggling with rejection, jealousy, heartache and more antagonising pain than your human heart could ever cope with.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! Here it finally is, my first Loki multichapter fic! I will be adding more tags throughout the story, what you want to do before reading this is watching Thor: Ragnarok! This fic will mainly follow the events of the movie, even if I will make some changes to adjust to my plot, hence, there will be massive spoilers. Be warned but most of all, enjoy reading and don't forget to hit that follow button on Tumblr if you haven't already! @sserpente ♥
> 
> Sidenote: You will notice that in this story, Valkyrie is a little out of character. Why? Because I had the idea for the story before "Thor: Ragnarok" came out. I simply decided to wait and see the movie to follow the actual plot but still stick to the idea that this fanfiction is based on. Have fun reading!

**In a heartbeat**

 

 _Það er aldrei of seint fyrir ást._  
_It's never too late for love. **  
**_

 

**Chapter 1**

“We are going to be _late_!” You ranted, stomping your foot when Susan started to flirt with the questionably young taxi driver that had brought you here. New York City was crazy, especially if you were in a hurry. Note to self—leave at least two hours earlier next time. This job interview would determine what direction your hopefully successful future would take, so you were definitely not having your friends ruin this one opportunity for you… even if you had to act all bitchy and bossy.

“Please, (Y/N), calm your tits, we’re gonna be on time. We still have…” —Karen looked at her fancy watch— “…twenty minutes.”

“So I can call you?”

“Anytime,” Susan bat her long eyelashes at the taxi driver before waving him goodbye like a spoiled princess, making you roll your eyes in plain annoyance.

“Why did I even bother bringing you two?” You asked, rather yourself than your friends when they giggled. They decided to answer you anyway.

“Because you love us? The building is only three blocks away, don’t worry.” Susan appeased. Her long black hair was falling over her shoulders like a wave of shimmering pitch when she loosened her tight ponytail. A sigh escaped her lips.

“Let’s go then.” You mumbled, seeking to distract yourself with your surroundings as you wandered along the busy pavement. This city was insane. Luxurious and important, it screamed _career_ and _success_ like a euphoric fury. How you would adapt to living here if you actually got that job today, you were unsure of. As for now, you were staying with Susan and her younger sister Karen, who had generously offered you a place to crash.

You were grateful, really—but sometimes, the siblings were a pain in the arse. Susan was right though. You still loved them and you three had experienced amazing things together already. You were best friends for life.

“Excuse me? Can you help me?” _No._ You could not. Being a tourist yourself, you would be of no help to anyone and besides, you were way too focused on your upcoming job interview. Two more blocks and your future would, if you got lucky, change for the better forever.

You flinched when Karen let out a scream, turning around in an instant to kick whoever had scared or attacked her right in the balls. The self-defence class, which you attended thrice a week, had been training you for situations like that. It made you feel safe when you were walking on the streets on your own, especially when it was dark out already. The slow progress you made with your personal trainer was paying off and making you vigilant, when you found her jumping up and down like a gummy ball and fangirling as if to react to spotting One Direction on the street, however, you frowned.

“OMG!” Susan spelled out, her jaw dropping. Her eyes were fixed on the long-haired blonde, who had addressed you. A tall and broad man dressed in battered clothes that reminded you of a homeless person. It was his face that made you realise your friends’ excitement though.

“You are Thor! OMG! You are Thor! You are _the_ Thor! I love you! May we take a selfie with you? Please?”

The Thunderer smiled cordially and despite his confusion (welcome to the club, mate), he nodded. You didn’t care about the Norse God at all. Crushing on superheroes was Susan’s thing. You were fine dating normal men.

“Of course,” You doubted Thor knew what a selfie was in the first place but it was the least of your problems right now. Standing a few steps away, you scratched the back of your hand like you always did when you were nervous.

“Guys, we’re going to be late, for Fuck’s sake, please hurry!”

There was another person waiting. Clothed in a plain black suit that looked like it had been tailored for him, he dug his hands into the pockets of his pants. He appeared to be as irritated as you were, however, when you looked up to study his face, your heart skipped a beat.

This… was Loki. This was the very man who had tried to take over the world and caused mayhem all over New York City a couple of years ago. The man who had killed hundreds of innocent people and fought against the Avengers! His raven hair framed his flawless features, his stinging blue eyes boring right into yours. It seemed like with a single glance, he learned all of your darkest secrets and deepest desires.

You blinked, frantically, and looked away quickly when you noticed you were staring each other down, though you could still feel his scrutinising gaze on you when you brought your attention back to your friends who were now snapping crazy pictures with the God of Thunder.

You would never make it in time if they kept dawdling. Susan and Karen were both busy ignoring Loki completely as they talked to Thor, although Karen shot him one disgusted peek when she spotted him standing next to him.

“How can we help you, Thor?” Susan smiled and for just a brief moment you feared she would faint from pure delight.

Ten minutes.

“I am looking for a man.”

“Ha, I could swear most men are looking for a woman.” You muttered to yourself, scratching the back of your hand even fiercer.

“(Y/N)!” Susan admonished embarrassed. A careless shrug was all she received in return.

“Well, can you be a little more specific?” You continued. “Half of the population of New York is male.”

“(Y/N)!” Susan repeated. You shrugged once more all the while sudden curiosity hit you. What was he doing here in New York City and much more importantly, why had he brought Loki? For all you knew from watching the news, the God of Mischief had been called back to Asgard where he would have had to face justice and a proper punishment for his actions. Your curiosity was directed at him, fascination washing through your veins like a gushing wave of hot water. He just stood there, watching you, with a barely visible smirk playing on his thin lips.

Thor took a deep breath. You could tell he was irritated by your scornful remarks, clenching his fist repeatedly to assumingly keep calm, the other hand fumbling around with the ridiculous umbrella he was carrying despite the sunshine. Something was bothering him when he scowled, this much was obvious. But as were you—you had approximately five minutes left to show up for your job interview. Thor was a self-proclaimed superhero. Surely, he could take care of his problems himself and on top of it, deal with a few cocky insults.

“We are looking for my father,” he tried again, speaking slowly as if he was scolding an immature and young child who had stolen biscuits from the kitchen before supper. “Odin. He disappeared.” Following his dark words, he glared at his brother angrily from the corner of his eye. So he had something to do with it. You were not surprised he was, you had read the articles in the newspapers where they had described him as a mischievous, evil and witty cockroach from outer space.

“What does he look like?” Susan tossed in eagerly, playing with a strand of her black hair.

“He has… grey hair, a beard… he is one-eyed and wearing an eye patch and—“

“Thor…” It was the first time you heard him speak. Instantly, you turned your head to face Loki. His smooth voice was seducing, alluring and enchanting and nothing like what you imagined what a man who tried to conquer and subjugate the planet would sound like. You wished he would say more. You wanted to see how well-chosen and witty words left those thin lips.

No wonder he had succeeded in making a crowd kneel before him in fear… or had it been awe in the end? Loki wasn’t what SHIELD had let the world know he was. He didn’t seem like the monster they had described him as at all… was this the fatal mistake they had made back then?

 _Better stay away from him_ , you thought to yourself, withdrawing your gaze to stare longingly at the busy street in front of you. You were only a few blocks away now. Maybe you should just leave and let your friends deal with the strange Asgardian brothers.

Sighing, you moved to step away when you realised the reason for Loki’s unnerving comment. The mist crept up right behind you. Black, green and silver, it spread on the busy pavement, scaring passengers away and alarming a few pigeons. Wind was blowing where there appeared a black and gaping portal, promising dread, fear and death. Your blood ran cold. What was this sorcery?

Susan and Karen were frozen in place. Not daring to move, their eyes widened. They barely noticed Thor striding forward to shield them from the unidentified threat in the heart of New York City. Loki stood idly by, his lips slightly parted. Concern was present on his face, along with the undeniable expression of _thinking hard._ A plan was forming in his mind already.

Out of the green fog stepped a woman. Long and black hair framed her pale face, her stinging blue eyes even more intense with the black eye shadow she was wearing. In fact, she was abusing it but still, it suited her eerie appearance.

Smiling cruelly, she moved towards you.

“Who are you? Identify yourself!” Thor demanded, his right fist bringing up the umbrella. A weird sound erupted from it when he did and you understood with a start it was his famous hammer Mjölnir. This attire had merely been a disguise, hence Loki’s black suit.

“Me?” The woman replied, shrugging. “I am Hela. I am the Goddess of Death. And I am your queen.” She shrugged once more, her wicked grin widening. “Kneel.”

“I beg your pardon?” Loki narrowed his eyes, leaning forward ever so slightly.

She was another power-hungry sociopath then. Narcissistic and self-driven, with an inexplicable desire to rule a people. _You needed to get away. Now._

“I don’t think so.”

What happened next was too fast for your mind to comprehend. Thor threw his hammer at Hela, a swift movement of his umbrella which had turned back to its original form within the blinking of an eye—and a lightning bolt swallowing him whole for the fraction of a second but instead of it colliding with her body, all covered in black leather, she… she _caught_ it.

Hela sighed—she sounded almost disappointed. “Very well,”

An explosion erupted, knocking you to the ground. Simultaneously, you were pushed aside by someone and something hit your head—whether it was a body part or a piece of debris you did not know, for the only thing you could hear was the staggered screams of passengers and the high-pitched ringing in your ears. There was a sticky liquid running down your forehead and staining your cheeks. It was burning in your right eye, you could hardly see anything. Blood? Were you bleeding?

“(Y/N)…” It was Susan who croaked your name. She was lying on the ground, it was her foot that had connected with your head when you fell and when you looked up to meet her terrified gaze, you saw fear and anguish glistening in them.

A piece of metal was buried deep inside her chest, reddening her revealing outfit. There wasn’t much you knew about anatomy but with the blade being plunged into her body this close to her heart, you knew she would not survive even if an ambulance brought her to the hospital this instant.

Hela had _killed_ her. Her absurd wrath had snuffed an innocent, one of your _best friends._

“Susan… Susan, open your eyes, look at me! We’re gonna get you help!” You cried, biting back your tears.

Anger, fear and panic flooded your veins, paralysing every last limb of yours. Frozen and dumbfounded, you lay there, struggling to get up and breathing heavily all the while the goddess of death kept attacking Thor and Loki.

Thor was powerless without his hammer. He was surprised and confused and even Loki seemed startled. He flipped his daggers gracefully before flinging them at Hela so smoothly you could barely see it but even he would, on the long term, be defenceless against the ruthless goddess.

You attempted to get up and run, save yourself and Karen for as long as it was still possible. Was it? You doubted it. Momentarily, your important job interview was forgotten. If you died today… would the last thing you felt be worry about showing up on time?

It was then you heard an ear-piercing hiss. Out of thin air, orange sparks extended on the pavement. They created a circle through which suddenly, you spotted the head of a man. Dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard framed his face, a red cloak complementing the colour of it.

“Get in there! Quick!” He spoke, urging you on to… step through the portal? You could barely believe such a thing existed when Thor frowned and jumped inside without hesitation, quickly followed by Loki but then again… Hela had stepped out of a cloud made of green and black fog.

“Karen! Karen!” You bestowed frantically. She had realised now that Susan was dead too. She was kneeling next to her on the ground, her watering eyes empty and lost. She was bleeding too but at least, so you figured, she would be able to heal.

“Karen!”

“We don’t have time! Leave her, you can’t help her!” The head of the strange man shouted severely as it appeared once more. A foreign hand wrapped around your upper arm, pulling you inside the orange portal.

With a start, the streets of New York City, Karen’s kneeling form and Susan’s dead body were gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG, you guys, I am literally startled. Thank you all so much for your positive and numerous feedback, I never thought this new project would be so well received. Enjoy the next chapter! ♥

Several seconds passed until the play of warm colours ceased. You were standing in what resembled the stairwell of an ancient mansion, with valuable sculptures in the corners and artistic paintings on the walls. In front of you there was the man who had saved your life. His red cloak seemed to be moving and floating on its own when he stepped forward to properly introduce himself. Thor was even faster to speak.

“So Earth has wizards now, huh?”

“Something like that. My name is Doctor Stephen Strange.”

Frowning, you looked around you. _Stephen Strange._ You had heard of his name before. He used to be a famous neurosurgeon before… there had been this atrocious accident.

You let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding, your limbs still shaking. The shock of what had happened sat deep—clinging to your heart like claws, stabbing you from the inside out.

“W-whatever just happened? Who was that? What does she want?” _Why did she kill my best friend_ , you added silently, swallowing thickly to suppress a sob. Your heart was still pounding like a steam hammer—it almost hurt.

Strange nodded. “Yes, what _does_ she want, Thor? You seemed familiar.”

“We are not. I know as much about her as you do but we need to stop her now. My hammer…”

“A shame,” the wizard said, pouting in approval before turning to you. “I’m sorry about your friend.” Fighting back your tears once more, you nodded.

“Look, sorcerer, we need to find my father.” Thor continued sternly. “He’ll know what to do, he is the Allfather, the protector of the nine realms.”

“What brought him this title, I wonder?” Strange remarked sarcastically. “I know who your father is, we met shortly before he disappeared.”

“Disappeared?”

“Yes,” Strange said. “He chose to remain in exile when your brother Loki…” —he put a suspicious emphasis on his name— “…banished him to Earth.”

“But why would he do that?”

Loki. Where was he? Your thoughts drifted away from the weirdly calm conversation Strange and Thor were having. You didn’t want to be here—you didn’t _belong_ here. You had just missed your job interview and then, even worse, lost one of your best friends to a powerful black-haired witch. This wasn’t right. None of this was.

“You should probably stay the night.” Strange suggested when you turned back to them again reluctantly. “It will take me some time to locate your father and in this house, you will be safe from Hela. I will personally bring you to your rooms. Don’t enter any of the others without me, they’re—uh—out of order.”

“Stay the night?” You chirped, terrified. “What about me? I can’t stay the night, I need to go back this instant! I have… _had_ a job interview! I demand to leave immediately!” Although you tried to sound intimidating, your words were weak and exhausted.

The past hour had taken its toll on you and with the realisation of your best friend being gone sinking in more with every minute that passed, it was getting harder to even stand upright without throwing up or fainting like a pathetic little school girl.

“You can’t leave… what’s your name?”

“(Y/N),” you choked out.

“(Y/N),” Strange repeated gently. “You can’t leave. I’m sorry. Hela knows who you are and what you look like, she saw you with Thor and Loki.”

“He’s right,” Thor added with a deep voice. “For all I know she will try and kill you once she gets the chance.”

Of course, he had a point there. Thanks to Karen and Susan, Hela might be thinking you were in on the game. The danger you were in was tangible. Perhaps you _should_ stay the night. Only tonight and then tomorrow, you would make your leave, making sure to find Karen and mourn her sister together. Organising a beautiful funeral to honour her would be the least you could do after this terrible incident—it was, naturally, even more important than your spoiled chance to become a famous journalist one day.

“I will need my brother back.” Thor stated when you said nothing, clearing his throat audibly.

“Oh yeah, right,” With a flick of his fingers, there were eerie orange sparkles spreading on his fingertips again and then, having you flinch and jump aside, the wizard opened a portal on the ceiling through which a yelling Loki fell straight to the hard ground.

“I have been falling… for thirty minutes!” He complained crossly. Panting, he got up on his feet. The situation would have been funny, caused you to giggle even if you hadn’t just escaped death by only a heartbeat.

“Handle me…” He started, eyes narrowing as he fixated Strange. His voice was dangerously low, breathless even when out of thin air, he conjured two razor-sharp daggers. “Who are you? You think you are some kind of sorcerer. Don’t think for one minute you second-rate—“

Loki started at Strange before he had even finished his threat. Maybe it was the adrenaline that was still cursing through your veins and stopping you from collapsing; most of all, however, it made you brave.

“No! No, stop it!” You screamed, blocking his way. Your palms connected with his chest and despite of the nice feeling fabric of his black suit, it felt like trying to fight off a solid rock. The God of Mischief hesitated. Looking down at you in a confused manner, his blue eyes met yours. Whatever he saw in them—fear, exhaustion, desperation—it made him halt.

“No more fighting, I’m fed up with it! I just… I just want to go home!” Tears. Hot, salty and stinging, they worsened your sight. You quickly buried your face in your hands to hide your crying to keep at least some dignity. You should have all right to cry though. You were human, you were no supernatural witch…

“I don’t want anything to do with all of that spooky magic stuff! Life is exhausting enough! I just lost my best friend to a psychotic alien bitch for absolutely no reason!” You shouted out of breath, your words barely comprehensible in between frantic sobs.

“Okay, okay, (Y/N), you need to calm down, you’re having a panic attack.”

Strange was probably right with the amount of oxygen entering your windpipe. Trembling, you let him take a hold of your wrist—it wasn’t like you could have reacted in the first place—in the next moment, your environment once more changed within the twinkling of an eye.

In midst of an old-fashioned room with what looked like ancient furniture, the wizard switched on the lights and led you over to a surprisingly soft and comfortable bed.

“I know this is too much for you right now. It’s no less than what I felt when I first learned about magic and realms and… give yourself some time. Is there anyone you want me to contact for you? Your friend, maybe? She will have alerted the police by now.”

You decided to like the bearded man. His voice was relaxing and comforting and the way he kneeled down to look you in the eye all the while covering one of your hands with his, you felt safe.

It was only then you realised you had lost your bag during the explosion. Your phone, your wallet, your passport, even your car keys… everything was gone. If you did leave tomorrow, without your documents and any money, you wouldn’t even be able to leave the state.

“I… I don’t know Karen’s number by heart.”

“I will find a way to let her know you’re alive. Until then, you should rest. Are you hungry? There’s a bathroom opposite the room, it’s equipped with a first aid box so you can take care of the cut on your forehead. I will have some tea brought up, it will help you sleep.” As soon as he finished his proposal, a tray carrying a silver tea pot and a pretty porcelain mug appeared on your nightstand. It was steaming with a dark liquid, tempting you to taste it.

“Thank you.” You mumbled. For the tea or his comforting words, you did not know.

 

It must have been past midnight by now. The tea hadn’t helped. For hours on end, you had been thrashing around in bed, turning from side to side restlessly, for every time you closed your eyes to sleep, you saw Susan lying on the ground before you. She was reaching out, pleading you to save her instead of running away and stepping through that portal.

The smell of the fresh blood drowning her clothes was so vivid you gagged when your eyes flew open once again. Sweat was running down your back, your knees had turned to jelly and your heart… it seemed to be skipping so many beats you wondered how you were still alive.

You knew you wouldn’t be getting any rest tonight but at least, your tears had dried. You had no energy left to cry and relieve yourself from the grief rioting inside you. Maybe a short walk would take your mind off things and distract you from the gruesome picture that just wouldn’t go away.

Strange had told you not to explore the other rooms on your own and after what you had experienced today, you were fine with listening to his advice. Out of order probably meant hazard of any kind of magical origin. So you simply wandered through the empty hallways barefoot, inspecting the art in the house as you desperately tried not to think about Susan and the fact you would never see her again.

After a while, you came by another closed door, through this one, however, candle light shone to the wooden ground, illuminating a few feet in front of you. Either Doctor Strange, Thor or Loki would be inside the room, clearly not sleeping either, you assumed.

So you entered, making sure to knock quietly before opening the door to peek inside. It was the God of Mischief you spotted lying on the bed, reading a book whose title you couldn’t quite make out from the distance. He had replaced his clothes as well. Instead of the black suit, he was now wearing foreign garments made of green fabric which looked way more comfortable for reading in bed than his previous outfit.

He instantly noticed your presence before you even let the door fall shut behind you. Alarmed, he looked up to meet your tired gaze, his blue eyes sending pleasant shivers up and down your spine. There was something about his eyes… something intriguing.

“I can’t sleep,” you explained before he could open his mouth to dismiss you rudely. There wasn’t much you expected from him, after all. After what you had heard of he had done, you doubted he would show any sympathy for a human girl.

Loki tilted his head. He frowned, his lips parting ever so slightly. “Strange said the door was locked.” He stated wondrously.

Your eyes widened. “No, it was open, I mean, I just…” Grabbing the door knob in an irritated manner, you attempted to open it once more. It didn’t move. Not a smidge.

_Oh no._

“It _was_ open.” You corrected, turning around in an apologising manner all the while Loki rolled his eyes. Annoyance, so you figured, was safer than anger. Carefully, you approached his bed. “Why did he lock you in here?” You asked before you gave it a second thought. The answer was clear. Loki was a war criminal—unguarded… what would he do? You had just trapped yourself in this room with a very, _very_ dangerous man. Of course your day was getting even better.

“Strange does not trust me. His sorcery is more advanced than I thought—sloppy but quite affective. I am yet to figure out how to break the spell, though I believe it is the house that blocks most of my magic.” He said, setting his book aside. Now, you had his full attention but whether that was a good or a bad thing, you could not tell.

“You can’t sleep?” He asked then, raising his eyebrows a little. For just a brief moment, you believed there was actual interest flaming up in his eyes, it was, however, quickly replaced by the most inconspicuous hint of mockery. It stung even though you tried not to let it get to you.

“Quite frankly, I will not be sleeping either now that you have so brilliantly locked us in here.”

“You could have told me the door was locked _before_ I closed it, you vengeful idiot!” Dubiously, you usually ran out of cruel insults when you were angry and right now, Loki was provoking you. You were grieving, you were in pain and he… he was distracting you.

Nervously, you scratched the back of your hand, with the God of Mischief tilting his head once more upon seeing your skin turning all red. If you continued like this, you would be bleeding by tomorrow and yet, it felt good to do at least _something_ with your hands.

Loki was staring at you in an almost scrutinising manner. It was like his intimidating glance went right through you.

What you didn’t understand was how you hadn’t just left after seeing Loki in this room. You could have bolted and returned to your own, searching for Strange or Thor instead but for some incomprehensible reason, you had stayed and entered. Again, you were reminded of how there was something about the God of Mischief that intrigued you. If only you knew what it was.

“Can I please just… lie down? I really am exhausted.” There was no point in standing at the edge of his bed any longer anyway. Given you would be locked in here for the rest of the night, you might as well make the best out of the situation. Perhaps now, you would even fall asleep.

Loki was dangerous and unpredictable, this much you were very well aware of, however, with him by your side… you felt oddly protected.

Watching him nod mutely and biting back another scornful remark to express his plain annoyance, you slid under the warm bed sheets all the while remembering how he had attempted to lunge at Strange today. What had induced him to listen to you? Was it compassion? Pity?

“Good night, Loki.” You whispered, sighing quietly before turning to face the wall. When he replied nothing in return, you simply forced your eyes shut. Despite the dim light in the room, it took you in fact only a couple of minutes to fall into a relatively peaceful slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! Here's the new chapter! Thank you all so much for your lovely feedback! Enjoy reading!

When you woke up the next morning, the space to your right was empty, the bed unmade. Loki was gone. Bright sunlight shone into the room, illuminating the elegant furniture in the room. It all came crashing down on you then, like heavy rocks burying you underneath their weight.

_Hela. Susan. Karen. Your job interview. Stephen Strange, Thor, Loki…_ uncountable thoughts were tumbling around in your head, making your brain all fuzzy and stealing away your balance when you first threw back your covers and stood.

Expecting the worst, you tried for the door and let out a relieved sigh when it opened, tiptoeing barefoot through the hallways. There was no way you would be finding your way back to your own room. You decided to get your shoes later.

Following the voices coming from downstairs, you soon found a large kitchen area. You blushed upon realising you had slept the longest.

“Good morning, (Y/N). How have you slept?” Strange asked cordially, gesturing for you to take a seat at the vast kitchen table. Loki was there too. He was dressed in his black suit yet again, his expression severe and unimpressed. Briefly, your eyes locked with his and for the first time since you first met, he looked away first.

Strange’s question confused you as you sat down at the opposite end of the table to bring about as much distance between the God of Mischief and you as possible. So he had not told them about your nightly visit and your most unfortunate mishap that had forced you to spend the night together.

“I… g-good. Surprisingly good,” you murmured honestly, watching how a plate full of scrambled eggs, toast and tomatoes appeared before you while at the same time, frantically avoiding Loki’s intent gaze.

“Karen knows you’re alright by the way. She’s with her parents in New Jersey right now and the police is aware you are staying with me, so you won’t be in any trouble once you leave.”

_Once_ you leave. You still harboured the wish to do exactly that today, right after breakfast. Instead of complaining, however, you chose to invest your energy for a hopefully successful escape. You nodded gratefully.

“So, Thor, you say once you find your father, all parties involved will promptly return to Asgard?”

“Promptly,” the God of Thunder reinforced, smiling at the wizard.

“Great. Then I will help you. He is in Norway.”

“Norway? Why would he go to Norway?” You tossed in, looking at your plate rather disgusted. In spite of your stomach complaining, you had no appetite whatsoever. You didn’t even want to touch that cup of coffee Strange had set on the table for you.

“Thor can ask him that himself. I will need a strand of your hair, then I can create a portal that will lead you two right to him. Take this with you.” Despite his incredulousness, he handed Loki a strangely shaped ring.

“And then what happens to me in the meantime?” Crossing your arms in a defiant manner, you leaned back, trying to hide your shaking fingers.

“You stay here with me, (Y/N). As long as Hela is out there, your life is in danger. You are free to go as soon as she’s gone.”

Disappointment spread in your body. So he was intending to keep you here for an even longer period of time than just a couple of days. Strange was a likeable man, his company would be bearable to say the least but without Thor and Loki around, it would be, in fact, strange.

The two of them were the reason you had gotten into this horrible shemozzle in the first place. And Loki would be gone. Why on Earth would you bother if Loki would be gone?

“I object.” You muttered quietly, taking a deep breath to remain calm. What made it even worse was that you could practically feel Loki’s hypnotising blue eyes on you. It urged you to scratch the back of your hand.

Strange shot you a compassionate look before turning back to Thor to discuss details. If anything happened, so they concluded, Loki could open a portal with the ring Strange had given him so they could bring Odin back safely and flee and then, within mere moments, they were gone, having stepped through an orange portal leading to an open landscape in the heart of Norway.

“How’s your forehead?”

A weak pounding reminded you of the healing cut on your head. You had already forgotten about it.

“Fine, I suppose.”

“Good. Let me know if you need someone to take a closer look at it.”

He sighed when you said nothing, didn’t even look him in the eye.

“I’m sorry this happened to you, (Y/N) but you really should eat something.” Strange proposed when you gave your food another disgusted glance.

“I’m not hungry.”

“At least drink some water then.”

Gnashing your teeth, you started to scratch the back of your hand. _Drink some water._ As if drinking some water would help you deal with all of this. As if drinking some water would stop this madness.

“I just want to go home,” you whispered barely audible, adding a sigh. There was an unpleasant headache creeping up your skull, making you massage your temples. “I never wanted to be part of any of this.”

“I know. I trust Thor to take care of Hela. I’m sure you can leave soon. There is nothing personal about—“

“Susan is dead because of Hela.” You interrupted. “Of course, it _is_ personal, Stephen. And I hope Thor and Loki will kick her bloody arse and send her back to wherever the hell she came from.”

Strange nodded. “Helheim. She came straight from Helheim, that’s all I know.”

_Helheim._ What was that? Hell? Was Hela Satan? His wife or daughter? For all you knew, she could be. You wanted her suffering and you wanted her dead, even if you had to be the one to bring about her demise.

You almost gasped at your wrathful thoughts and you realised only then that your grief had been replaced by a burning, gloating anger boiling up deep in your stomach. It felt good to be angry, way better than to be sad and terrified, though with your mere self-defence skills, you had but your spiteful words.

You spend the next hour forcing the eggs down your throat. Much to your surprise, they tasted abnormally delicious and with every bite you took, your appetite came back. Soon, you had emptied the whole plate, earning you an approved nod by Strange. Only when you watched in awe how the cutlery and the dishes disappeared from the table and had him summon your shoes for you, he suddenly frowned.

“What? What is it?”

“Something’s not right…”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re in trouble. Hela must have found them, I can feel Loki trying to use the ring.” Fear flooded your body, your blood running ice cold. You had seen her fight before but now, Stephen Strange was here with you.

If she harmed them, then… where was that biting sorrow coming from? You should be scared for your own life and mourning your best friend but instead, you dreaded what could happen to Thor and most of all Loki—and that after how distastefully he had treated you yesterday night!

“I’m gonna help them. You stay here exactly where you are, so I can—“

The orange portal opened right before him, the impact knocking him into the kitchen counter while at the same time, you jumped up from your seat so forcefully the wooden chair crashed to the ground audibly.

Hela _had_ found them. Her crude smile was horrifying when she stepped through the portal and studied her new surroundings interestedly. The ring Loki had used had slipped under the kitchen table, the man who had used it himself was stumbling to his feet as graceful as he could muster, quickly followed by Thor who, clenching his fists, turned around angrily to fight the intruder.

“Bring us back!” Loki shouted up to the ceiling. He sounded frightened, triggering your own fear. If the God of Mischief was afraid… _Bring us back? Where to?_

“No!” Thor roared.

Bright light came smashing through the ceiling, ripping apart several floors in the process. It formed a circle right around the area Thor, Loki, Hela and you were standing before a strong invisible force pulled you off the ground and sucked you up into the sky.

Ice cold air flushed past you, the colours of the rainbow blinding you as you flew, higher and higher. It felt like all air was being pressed out of your body, making you nauseous and dizzy. Panicking, you looked around you, spotting Loki a few feet underneath your own form.

“Loki!” You yelled, barely able to properly open your mouth to shout. Perhaps he was a war criminal but whatever was happening in this very moment, you were not supposed to be here, that you were sure of—he had to help you, somehow, anyhow!

Growling mutely, Loki turned his head around to face you, endeavour glistening in his blue eyes. He seemed to stomp his foot then—and within a matter of seconds, he was next to you, allowing you to wrap your arms around his middle. Cool leather pressed against your cheek, filling your nostrils with a sharp but alluring scent as you squeezed your eyes shut tightly, hoping this terrible ride would end soon.

It did even sooner than you anticipated. Reluctantly, you opened your eyes again in the hopes of finding Thor in the bright chaos of colours but not matter how hard you tried, you were unable to lift your head. Instead, you looked down, sensing how Loki’s muscles clenched when he flung a dagger down at a very enraged Goddess of Death. She dodged it easily and then threw one of her own swords at the God of Mischief in return.

You screamed when you realised that it would kill you both, closed your eyes again to die seeing peaceful darkness instead of this ferocious monster beneath you but the painful intrusion of a pointy blade never came.

Loki ducked just in time, pulling you with him as the impact of the bright light scattered around him and sent him flying through the cosmos. Pain shot through your body, the firm jerk rippling through your limbs like jolts of electricity and then, after what felt like minutes of falling, you clunked to the ground, your nails digging into moist earth and pieces of debris and litter.

It took you a while to manage to breathe again, forcing yourself not to get lost in another panic attack as you rolled off Loki, who had, fortunately, absorbed most of your fall and checked your body for any injuries. Your left elbow felt like it was sprained, other than that, however, you were fine.

Loki moaned as he propped himself up, taking a suspicious look around himself before locking eyes with you.

“Are you alright?” He asked, surprising you with his sudden care. Even if you wanted to, you were incapable of responding in a full sentence.

“Physically,” you stated out of breath, your voice shaking along with your trembling body as you followed his example and examined the place you had landed on.

You came to one conclusion. This was not Earth anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! Are you guys in a Christmassy mood already? Enjoy the next chapter! ♥

Thor fell from the sky like a poor little bird that had lost its wings. He rose from the dirty ground only a few feet away from Loki and you—his eyes darkened visibly, his fingertips crackling with what looked like surging blue electricity.

“Brother…” Loki started insecurely.

“This was your doing!” He roared. He was going to lunge at him, you could practically feel the tension between them when Thor took a threatening step forward. You didn’t exactly know what Loki had done to anger the God of Thunder this much but if they killed each other now, things—wherever they stood—would get even worse.

“Will you two stop fighting for just a minute?!” You shrieked, panting. “Where are we?!” With a start, your voice grew more anxious. “This doesn’t look like… like Earth.”

“It is not,” Loki confirmed. He was surprisingly calm for someone who just had just flown through an unknown part of space to land on foreign territory. It probably wasn’t the first time he ended up in an unpleasant situation like this.

“No, it’s not, we’re stranded and it’s your fault, you foul—“

“Thor, shut up! What happened?” Naturally, you had absolutely no reason to defend the God of Mischief, it was what you tried to convince yourself of when he frowned in surprise. The thought of Thor breaking his jaw, however, was oddly unbearable.

“What happened? He killed our father, that’s what happened! Hela on the loose, Asgard in danger and it is all your fault!” He yelled enraged, attracting the attention of a few cloaked and masked figures camping on a hill. You discovered them just then. Whoever they were, they did not seem friendly—and now, they were heading towards you curiously, their weapons, which looked like strangely shaped swords and guns, raised, ready for attack.

“Thor, I’m sure there’s an explanation for all of this but we should… run.” You said as peacefully as possible. Whether you failed, you could not tell but right there, Loki noticed the hostile inhabitants of this funny place too and clearly, he did not trust them either.

“I do not run, I will fight whoever dares to—“

Thor paused, remembering with a start when he stretched out his right hand to call for his hammer, that it was gone, destroyed by the Goddess of Death.

“Thor, we must go!” Loki urged him on energetically. At this point, you didn’t even care they called him the Trickster. You followed him like a blind and helpless puppy, almost reaching for his hand when you stumbled over a rusty piece of machinery.

Thor only reluctantly joined you when you disappeared behind one of the many massive hills of trash and debris, looking for a place to hide. Loki found it soon after. What resembled a cave and towered up into the sky like a vast mountain made of grey and brown rock, you took shelter inside what used to be some kind of spaceship. A few of the leather seats were still intact, other than that, however, everything had been utterly destroyed and torn apart. At least the furniture was clean—a little dusty maybe—but other than that, bearable. It would do until you found a way to leave this eerie place again.

“This is ridiculous, I am going to find us a way back now.” Thor growled impatiently, not even bothering to sit down and rest for a while. You, on the other hand, were in desperate need of a break. Travelling by what you assumed must have been the infamous Bifrost from Norse Mythology, had taken its toll on you, especially after falling right out of it to mercilessly be hurled through the universe.

The fact you had involuntarily accompanied them in the first place didn’t seem to affect the brothers at all. Now that you had shut your mouth and crawled into a corner, they even ceased to acknowledge your presence.

“Thor, listen to reason. If you go on a rampage now and demand a free ride back to Asgard, these people, whoever they are, will most likely execute you. This is not on Midgard.” Loki mooted, still careful about how to behave around the Thunderer. One wrong word, so you figured, and he would explode.

“You both stay here.” Loki ordered thoughtfully. “I am going to explore the place. Surely, someone here is responsible. I will get us out of here. Leave it to me.” He winked at you confidently when you looked up with a worried frown. Your heart skipped a beat upon the gesture, causing you to lean back against the metal wall of the cave-like shelter. His god-damn eyes…

“Loki, don’t you dare leaving n—“ The God of Mischief disappeared in a shimmer of green light before Thor even had a chance to fling a piece of debris at him. It flew right through him, making him scream out in hot anger that vibrated through the whole cave and made you shiver.

Thor’s rage was understandable but what choice did you have other than to pray that Loki was indeed going to find you help? You had read about his silver tongue. If Loki was as skilled with words as you believed he was… could you trust him enough to get you all back to Earth alive? Your breathing quickened.

Heaven, what had you gotten yourself into? Scratching the back of your hand so fiercely you drew blood, you thought about your spoiled job interview and the tense cab ride with Susan and Karen yesterday afternoon. Susan who was now dead. All of that… had it all really happened only less than twenty-four hours ago?! This was madness, it was insane! Moaning, you buried your face in your hands, your fingers shaking.

“(Y/N)!”

Then, everything went black.

* * *

“Why not? This place is not so bad after all.” His voice was so smooth, so alluring and… almost… yes… it was seductive. Blinking tiredly, you opened your eyes only to realise you must have fallen asleep. How on Earth was this possible? With all the excitement, the fear and the panic pumping through your very veins, how had your body been able to claim a few hours of peace? “Don’t worry, brother. I have this all worked out.”

“Loki, we need to get back to Asgard _now_ , we need to stop Hela before it’s too late.”

“And then do what? Our sister…” Loki paused. “…destroyed your hammer like a piece of glass. She is stronger than both of us. How would you think for even one second that we could still save Asgard or its people? You’re not seriously thinking of going back, are you?”

“What are you saying, that we do nothing and stay here on Sakaar?!” Thor stood, the noise of leather rubbing against clothing items gave him away. You stretched, suppressing a yawn. You didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping but then again, whatever the two of them were discussing, if it involved getting back home, it was your business too.

_Sakaar._ Was this what this place was called?

“If we both want a chance to survive, then yes, that is what I’m saying.”

“Y-you want to stay? What about me?” You tossed in nervously, wrapping your arms around yourself to fight the cold. It had crept up your limbs when you woke up, tickling your skin and creating goose bumps all over it.

“(Y/N), are you alright?” Thor said. “You passed out, I had to catch you before you collapsed to the ground.”

“I did what?” So you hadn’t slept after all. You had had another panic attack and simply fainted. _Shit._ How long had you been out? According to the eerie darkness outside when you shot a glance over to the entrance to the cave… for several hours.

“You wouldn’t wake up, so I lay you down and checked for your pulse every hour.”

“Thanks.” You muttered, massaging your temples. “So… Loki… c-could you… I mean, find out where exactly we are?”

“Indeed I could. The planet we are on is called Sakaar, it is some kind of collecting void for things that get lost in the vastness of space. I met the man who owns this place. He is… a lunatic but he will come in handy. It will take me a while to gain his trust.”

“So you can get us back?” Your eyes lit up, hope spreading in your chest. It almost loosened the right knot Susan’s death and the constant fear inside you had entangled there.

“Not exactly. Tomorrow, I have an appointment with the Grandmaster’s finest tailor.”

Scoffing, you narrowed your eyes. “Really? Getting new clothes, is that really a priority right now?!”

“We will need to blend in if my plan is supposed to work out, little minx. You would be well advised to do the same.”

_Little minx._

“What plan? What plan of yours, Loki?” Thor roared.

_Little minx._ Why would he call you that? It was hard to tell if he was mocking you or simply using a tender nickname. You… doubted it would be the latter.

“In time, brother, the Grandmaster will, perhaps, befall an accident and then you and me…” He raised his thumbs, his lips pressed together to a thin line.

“Who is this Grandmaster?”

“He… kind of runs this place,”

“Loki, no. I will not play your games any longer.”

“Of course not, why would you? I guess I will just have to do it alone, you know. Like I’ve always done.”

A painful expression washed over your face, making you frown. Why was it so easy to feel compassion for this man when he said things like that? You didn’t even know him.

“Loki, I want to leave too.” You said gently, forcing your voice to sound strong.

Thor simply ignored you. “I can’t believe it, we have been here for a few hours and you already have thoughts about ruling this place yourself, do you even hear yourself, brother? You cannot be selfless just for once?”

“What did I do on Svartalfheim to protect your petty mortal girlfriend?!” Loki yelled. You flinched when he suddenly raised his voice, biting your lower lip.

What _had_ happened on Svartalfheim? The Edda spoke of dark elves when it came to this realm, and you had heard of the incident in Greenwich. You didn’t know Loki had been there too.

“Then do what you did for Jane for our own people!” Thor demanded, clenching his fists.

“To what end?!” They were both screaming now, eliciting a scared whimper from you. If they continued like this, the scavengers—at least that’s what they looked like—would find you before the moon rose to its peak. If this planet had a moon in the first place, that was.

“M-m-maybe w-w-we should try to sleep a little, there isn’t much we can do right now, especially when it’s dark outside and you two fighting won’t get us anywhere either.” You managed to choke out, hoping your voice wasn’t shaking too much when you spoke.

All of your bones were aching and complaining anyway, the weakening state of unconsciousness not having helped you to recover at all.

“She is right. I would appreciate lying down for a while too.” Loki stated, pursing his lips in a superior manner.

“Fine. Go rest, (Y/N). I do the watch, it’s way too quiet out here.”

“Yes, about that…” Loki began when you lay down on two of the battered leather seats, using your jacket as a blanket.  “Mind those scavengers. They capture strays and sell them to the Grandmaster as gladiators or slaves.”

Your eyes widened. _Slaves._ You needed to get off this planet.

* * *

 

 

About an hour passed until you woke up again from your light slumber, panting heavily as you did. Your face was wet, your eyes were burning. Had you been crying in your sleep?

A sob escaped your lips, the ache in your chest clouding your mind. It took you a moment to orientate yourself but when you did, only a stone’s throw away, you found Loki, lying comfortably on a couple of old leather seats which he had converted to a provisory bed.

_“Then I guess I will have to do it alone, you know. Like I always do.”_

The déjà-vu of yesterday night flooded your brain.

“I can come with you tomorrow,” you suddenly heard yourself whispering, using the sleeves of your jacket to dry the last of your tears. Loki took a deep breath.

“You will get yourself killed, little minx.”

There it was again. _Little minx._ So he was awake too. Perhaps he had even heard you crying.

“It’s short of a miracle I’m alive now, if I were to die, it would have happened already.” You countered defiantly. “I’m done with being treated like a poor and defenceless child and I am certainly not going to root here in this broken plane until you decide it might be time to go home.”

If you were to fight Loki… no, you wouldn’t stand a chance, not in a million years and not even with your self-defence skills. The God of Mischief turned around to face you. His blue eyes met yours, freezing you in place.

“Look, I am not very keen on having landed here as well. I don’t know how to get away from here yet but for now, I believe it might be a good idea to simply stay. I have seen how the… upper class people live in this place and it does not repel me.” He hissed.

You swallowed thickly. “So Thor is right? All you ever care about is saving your own skin? To think that I was actually worried for you when you went to Norway through that spooky portal...”

Loki frowned. He seemed almost confused but as were you. Now that you had admitted it, it felt even more off. This wasn’t right, definitely not. Loki seemed to share your opinion.

“He’s your brother!” You continued quickly. “Maybe _I’m_ not that important but your home—Asgard—it is. Hela killed one of my best friends and she was an innocent. What will she do to your home planet then?”

Talking to him calmed you down, it felt like yesterday night. He had an inexplicable talent for distracting you from the dull ache in your heart, even if he triggered your anger.

“Asgard is all but lost already. The sooner Thor realises that, the sooner he will listen to reason.” He simply said.

You paused, considering his words.

“What did he mean by… you killed your father?”

The God of Mischief sighed. He was very well aware by now that you were merely curious, attempting to understand him. It had been a while since anyone had tried to do that and it was a nice change for once, even if usually, he praised the fact he could not be riddled.

“I did not kill him. I banished him to Earth after erasing his memories with a spell but he managed to break free from it.”

“Why a-and… and how? They said you were locked away in Asgard, expiating in a prison cell for what you did in New York.”

A smirk crept up on his lips, quickening your breathing. His damn eyes were sparkling mischievously in the dim light, promising tricks and charming words. It was irksome how you reacted this intensely to him after learning he was indeed a very selfish god, admitting himself he would rather stay on Sakaar than help his own people.

“That I did.” He went on. “Until Thor freed me because he was in desperate need for my help.” He explained triumphantly. “After that, he remained on Earth, believing I had died in Svartalfheim and I was free to claim the throne.”

“You mean…”

“Yes, little minx, I am, as of now, the rightful king of Asgard.”

Swallowing again, you looked up at him.

“If you are, then tell me what kind of king leaves his own people behind? Aren’t you supposed to protect the nine realms?” You said it because it was the right thing to say. What Loki did was wrong, in a way but somehow…

“What am I supposed to do?” He spat through gritted teeth. “You have seen with your own eyes what Hela is capable of. By now, and until we find a way back, Asgard will be in ruins already.”

You replied nothing to that. You hated to admit it but Loki had a point. What would you do in his shoes? Surely, you wouldn’t dare to take on Hela alone, you would try and hide yourself, to survive by any means necessary. Yes, you concluded. You… you agreed with him.

“Alright,”

“What?”

“I said alright. But you can’t stop Thor from trying to defeat Hela.”

“I know.”

“Will you help me get back home?” It wasn’t a question, not really. You were sleepy already and glad for Loki’s presence this close to you. It lured you into believing you were safe, at least for this very moment. Shortly before your eyes fell shut and you drifted off, you imagined him saying _Yes. I promise._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! As usual, thank you all so much for your nice feedback! Enjoy reading! ♥

Loki was still reluctant of letting you join him to meet that tailor he had been speaking of but unless he could magically let water and food appear in front of you, he would be confronted with how stubborn you could be. You hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since the morning at Strange’s house, shortly before Hela had attacked yet again and unlike the two gods you were stranded with, you would be dehydrating a lot quicker.

“You know I can bring you some food here.” He said in an annoyed manner when you followed him outside, demanding once more to come with him. “You will only cause me more trouble than you are worth.”

Your lips parted. That stung, though you had phrased it yourself—you were not _that_ important. Silently, you looked up at him, attempting to convince him with a single, desperate glance. It had worked before when he tried to snuff the very man who had saved you from Hela so perhaps, it would be working now too.

Loki sighed, closing his eyes for just a moment as if he was trying to keep up an act.

“You let me do the talking. Do not open that pretty little mouth of yours unless I give you a sign, is that understood? And don’t wander off.”

“Loki, you will not take her with you. It’s too dangerous.” Thor interrupted. He entered the broken plane with a grumpy expression on his face, his lips pursed.

“I have not made the decision.” The God of Mischief countered, suppressing a mocking smirk. He knew Thor couldn’t forbid you to explore the planet yourself. Strange had tried to keep you in his house and frankly, he had failed. Hopefully, this was a good idea, after all. You doubted Loki would go to your rescue if you screwed up.

“I will be fine, Thor. My mother always said it’s better to face your fears than to run away from them.” You doubted she had ever been on a different planet.

The God of Thunder gnashed his teeth, staring daggers at his brother. “I will be trying to reach out to Heimdall.” There was an audible judgement in his voice when he spoke, turning his back to you to face the broken window of the plane wreck.

“Good luck with that.” Loki responded sarcastically, heading towards the collection of vast buildings that stretched out about a mile away. They were strange constellations and unlike anything you had ever seen on Earth when you followed him across the disgusting mountains of debris and dirt. You realised only then that you were in fact, surrounded by what resembled a city. The colours of the rainbow blinded your eyes as you followed Loki through the streets, passing more and more scavengers that shot you greedy and incredulous looks.

This place was so… awfully strange. The colours, the people… it seemed like thousands of species and cultures clustered together on one planet where there was chaos, no order and no law. You didn’t exactly know who this Grandmaster Loki had mentioned was but you doubted he would be a very reasonable fellow.

Swallowing thickly, you resisted the urge to reach for Loki’s hand and kept as close to him as possible until you entered the Grandmaster’s house.

“And you are?” He was… orange. His skin was orange. Crudely, the guard crossed his arms before his chest, blocking the hallway.

“King Loki,” the God of Mischief stated smugly. “Of Asgard. The Grandmaster awaits me.”

“Well, get in then. He hates tardiness. Who is that?” Almost disgusted, the orange man pointed at you. He was the one talking. At least your skin didn’t glow in the dark.

“Is the Grandmaster awaiting her too?”

“Not exactly,” Loki began but the guard cut him off.

“Well, if she’s not, she’s to stay put. The Grandmaster doesn’t allow any stray dogs in his place.”

“Stray dogs? Are you kidding me? Listen well, you orange little fu—“

Scoffing, Loki suddenly grabbed your wrist so tightly you winced from his sheer strength, making you shut your mouth instantly. He laughed uncomfortably.

“I understand. I shall pick her up after.” Then, he turned to you, growling quietly so the orange man could not hear his words. “Have I not told you to shut your mouth? You stay exactly where you are and do not move until I come back to get you.”

“Excuse me?! I thought you gained the Grandmaster’s favour! I want to come with you, I’m starving and I’m thirsty!” You hissed. “Did you think I came here for amusement?! Because I can ensure you, I am _not_ amused.”

“ _Stay_ where you are, little minx,” he threatened darkly. “I will come and get you as soon as I can. Now… can we leave?” He asked the orange man, louder this time.

Glaring angrily at the two of them, you watched him nod and lead Loki to a metal gull-wing door around the corner. They disappeared and you stood there, all alone on a foreign planet with about nothing to defend yourself, cursing yourself for trusting the God of Mischief. You should have known. You should have bloody known!

For about thirty minutes, you sat there on the floor with crossed legs, curled up in the hopes no one would pass by and rocking back and forth slowly. You were close to getting another panic attack and with every second that Loki was gone, you freaked out more.

“The last one only brought me five-thousand units. I’m telling ya, the Grandmaster’s getting picky with what we bring him.”

Footsteps. Voices. There was more than one person approaching you in the long and dimly lit hallway, making you jump up with shaking hands. _Hide! Hide!_ All of your instincts screamed for you to find a cover but other than endless walls and that stupid gull-wing door, there was not much this damn house offered.

“Well look at that!” One of the man shouted, a shit-eating grin revealing a row of brown teeth. Breathing in and out slowly, you fought to hold back your gag reflex.

“Who are you?”

“I… uh… I am… I am…”

“A stray!” He concluded triumphantly, raising his fist high up in the air. “Such a pretty girl. You’ll make a good slave.”

Your blood ran ice cold. _Slave._ Slave?! Quickly, you pondered your options. Run? No, where to? They would find you sooner or later and even if they didn’t, you would get lost. Fight them? There were three of them. With two men, you might stand a chance, knowing how to place a blow to knock all air out of someone’s body but three? They would subdue you in mere seconds.

Thinking frantically, you took a step back when they started to stroll towards you, a disgusting hunger glistening in their eyes.

“I belong to Loki!” You screamed then, clenching your fists defiantly. Your eyes narrowed. “I belong to _King_ Loki. You better keep your hands off me. He does _not_ like it when people touch his property.”

_Smart move_ , you complimented yourself, taking a deep breath. _Crazy bitch!_

“Loki?” One of the men repeated dumbfounded.

“He’s the Grandmaster’s guest.” Another explained. “King of a realm, this… Asmart, Astart, Asfart…”

“Asgard,” You corrected, lifting your chin.

“Yeah that. You know, we should take her with us. Just to be sure. I mean, she made it to the Grandmaster’s house without permission, he should know about this… lack of security, if you get my saying. He might even reward us if he’s in a good mood.”

The two other men chuckled—it sounded, to be fair, crazy. Not for a second did you doubt that they were.

“No! I am to wait here for the king! Stop it!”

You struggled fiercely when they wrapped their dirty hands around your upper arms, almost lifting you off the ground and leaving you kicking around helplessly. You even managed to hit one of the men in the shin but fairly, it did nothing. _They aren’t human, of course._ A mortal man would have screamed in pain, your blows were all but gentle, your self-defence teacher had made sure of that _._

So your wild thrashing was all in vain when they dragged you through the gull-wing door Loki had stepped through only thirty minutes ago. A vast room presented itself to you, with a comfortable looking set of colourful leather couches right in the middle of it, surrounded by fluffy carpets. The walls were made of glass—giant windows that offered a marvellous view over… the litter. _Beautiful._

Guards were standing mutely in the corners, staring sternly into thin air. You recognised the orange man from earlier and concluded that in the middle of the room—with an oddly interested sparkling in his eyes—sat the Grandmaster. A yellow cloak emphasised his height and grey hair, a straight stripe of blue colour decorating his chin. If this was considered beauty and make-up here on Sakaar, you suddenly started appreciating the compulsion to always look “on fleek” in New York. Mascara was way more bearable compared to this.

Loki was sitting right next to him. His clothing had changed, the green garments replaced by black leather, a yellow cape and blue accents on the fabric. Much to your surprise, the colours suited him well. Loki was a man who could practically wear _anything_ and still look gorgeously handsome in it. His lips were parted slightly when he recognised you, unsure of whether he should let the Grandmaster see that he knew you.

“I’m sorry for disturbin’. We found this one in your hallway, Grandmaster.” The scavenger snarled. Blue eyes met your own. _I told you so_ , you tried to tell him. _You shouldn’t have left me all alone._

“When we tried to take her, she claimed to be King Loki’s slave already.” Instantly, his head shot up, alarmed.

“Oh my, you brought your own pet?” The Grandmaster exclaimed, grinning like a lunatic. “My friend, we will be getting along really well.”

“Yes…” Loki mumbled, looking you straight in the eye. You could tell he wanted to strangle you for this. “I believe so too. As I was saying, can I just say it is an honour to be considered a friend? I thought my kingdom was great but here on Sakaar, I cannot help but be astonished by what you have built yourself here.”

“Oh, don’t flatter me! Bring her closer, let her sit at Loki’s feet, I don’t mind. You’re in interesting man, Loki. Very interesting indeed,”

Without forewarning, you were yanked forward once more until you stood only mere inches from them, the two men pushing you on your knees roughly. _God, this was humiliating but… better than being dead or sold as a slave, mind you._

Loki leaned down immediately.

“What were you thinking?!” He hissed, whispering.

“I panicked, I didn’t know what else to say!”

The God of Mischief rolled his eyes before turning back to the Grandmaster. “I decided I would leave her outside, for I wasn’t exactly sure you would take kindly in the presence of a lower-ranked being.” He went on, smirking once more. If you brought your fist down to his foot, would it hurt him? Probably not. Quietly, you growled.

“So very considerate! For how long have you had her?” Apparently, slaves were a topic the Grandmaster was widely interested in and Loki, enjoying the power it gave him, was only all too happy to make up juicy details. With every word that left his thin lips, he started another lie, playing along with what _you_ had started in the first place.

“Not too long, actually. She is very exciting company, however. Would you mind bringing her something to drink? Water, perhaps? It brings, unfortunately, one disadvantage to keep a mortal for your amusement.”

“Ah!” The Grandmaster snapped his fingers. Instantly, one of the guards rushed away to get you what Loki had asked for.

_Oh dear God, thank you!_ Sighing, you moistened your lips with the tip of your tongue, imagining how the cool water would run down your throat and freshen up your senses.

“A mortal you say! They are so rare here on Sakaar. Mortals are so… so sensitive. Listen here, Loki, I host regular orgies in one of my most impressive space ships, the Commodore. Would you, perhaps, be interested in sharing her? I can guarantee you, you would enjoy it a lot, you’re in fact very welcome to join!”

Your eyes widened. With your heart in your mouth, you bit your tongue when you took the glass of water one of the guards handed you, forcing yourself not to lash out. Helplessly, you sought out Loki’s gaze. He returned it for only a brief second.

“I don’t usually share my property, if you don’t mind. Mortals are… easily broken.”

“No, no, of course not, I agree with you.” The Grandmaster nodded, pausing. “So, Loki, how long are you planning to stay?”

“I do intend to stay for a while—only of course, if I am welcome.”

The Grandmaster let out a short, hysteric laugh. “I don’t have royal company often, I like that! I will provide you with your own quarters, how about that?”

“There is no need for any additional effort…” Loki started, slowly luring him right to where he wanted him. You were impressed by the God of Mischief’s ability to play with words; a true Trickster—despite your embarrassing kneeling position right now.

“Oh no, no, no, please, I insist, I insist. Your pet, would you like to keep her in your room? I must confess, our cells are completely overcrowded at the moment.”

Loki’s eyes, once more, drifted over to your form next to his seat. _Don’t you dare._  “She will stay with me.”

“Excellent. There are no locks, shall I provide you with a collar for the nights?”

“Why not,” he mumbled through gritted teeth so quietly only you could hear it, once more expressing his dismay about your little white lie. “Thank you. But she is very well trained and obedient. I trust her not to run.”

The Grandmaster clapped his hands. “Tell me your secret! So, _Loki_ , do you keep her as your servant only or do you use her for your pleasure as well?” Leaning forward, his eyes widened to hear his reply. You felt like throwing up.

“Occasionally,” Loki smirked mischievously. _Fucking arsehole._ You already dreaded the worst. “She might be quiet now but she certainly knows how to use that pretty little mouth of hers well.”

You almost spitted out the greedy gulp of water you were attempting to swallow.

“Oh yeah, perhaps she can teach one of mine, how does that sound? I am sure she would be thrilled to share her talents, isn’t that right?” The Grandmaster grinned, imagining the lie Loki had conjured out of thin air in his mind. At least you hoped it was a lie. Yet once again you bit your tongue and said nothing.

“She certainly won’t be going anywhere.” He replied, smiling sweetly. This time you actually kicked him, acting as innocent and inconspicuous as possible. Loki didn’t even flinch.

“No one leaves this place, eh?”

“Oh, about that, I was wondering whether there were, in fact, any convenient ways out of here. I have to admit, your hospitality flatters me and I would like to return the favour someday. Asgard has treasures of which most beings can only dream of—I would gladly present you some of those items as a gesture of my gratitude. Surely, they would enrich this planet’s wealth.”

_Damn._ He really did possess a silver tongue. Subtly, and without raising any suspicion, he would get the Grandmaster to tell him everything he wanted. Loki was charming—he could have all the women in the room, including you, and even the men, falling to his feet if he wanted to.

“That sounds wonderful! You see, the planet is surrounded by gateways. Yeah, the big one we call the Devil’s Anus. But before you leave, you _have_ to watch my gladiators fight. The contest of champions is what I am most proud of here, you will love it!”

Loki nodded, pretending to show interest—or perhaps he really was. After all, he did intend to stay but then again, why had he asked the Grandmaster about the gateways? For Thor? For… you?

It was then the metal doors of the gull-wing door opened for a third time, now revealing a confident woman with a beautiful face, gorgeous lips, brown skin and dark hair. The armour she wore made her look powerful and intimidating. Jealousy washed over you as you checked her out from head to toe, deciding in the twinkling of an eye that you did not like her.

“Ah! Scrapper 142! Here, meet my guest. This is… uh, this is Loki. _King_ Loki from… from Asgard.”

_Scrapper._ So this was what those filthy scavengers were called. Of course _she_ had to be the one who shone out. Loki leaned forward, mustering her quietly and when their eyes met, you almost broke the glass of water in your hands. And what was up with those ridiculous white stripes on her face? If she liked dressing up as a zebra, she would be better off in a zoo.

God, how pathetic did _you_ have to look with your dirty clothes, kneeling at Loki’s feet?

“Asgard?”

“Yeah, isn’t that where you’re from?”

Loki raised his eyebrows. “Is it?”

“It was a long time ago,” the girl replied unaffected. Who was she? Did she recognise him? No, she was merely shocked to have met another Asgardian and clearly, she was not pleased with that.

“Scrapper 142 is the _best_. She always brings me the best contenders.” The Grandmaster explained, eliciting a forced smile from the dark-skinned girl. She hadn’t paid any attention to you yet and quite frankly, you hoped it would remain that way. You’d had enough humiliation for today.

“Is that so?” Loki mused. He was still staring at her. What was so _special_ about her, for Fuck’s sake and, much more importantly, why did you care if he liked what he saw?

“Oh yes. It seems like she knows exactly which lost soul that ends up here on my planet can fight. It made her rich. She brought me my beloved champion, you know.”

Great, so she was smart, skilled _and_ successful. Gnashing your teeth, you took another sip of your water.

“So what do you need, Scrapper 142?”

“I wanted to speak with you but I see you’re busy, I can come back later.”

“No, no, no! It’s fine, we were done for today anyway. Loki, if you need anything else, let my employees know. They will show you to your room and later bring dinner for you and your little pet.”

_Finally._ You would _so_ kick his arse now.

The Grandmaster stood, quickly followed by Loki who, tilting his head, indicated to you to do the same. You tried to kill him with a single glance when you did, fawning after him like an obedient puppy when one of the guards led him out of the room and through the hallway to what resembled empty quarters.

It was breath-taking. A giant king-size bed dominated the studio apartment, the large windows displaying the horizon. The furniture—new and modern—complimented the fluffy carpet on the floor and the attached bathroom had an actual whirlpool in addition to a shower, with more buttons and functions than any facility on Earth could ever offer.

As soon as the door fell shut behind you and the guard disappeared, you turned around, exploding.

“Was that really necessary? Making me your bloody whore?”

“Oh, I am sorry, should I not have said that? You brought this to yourself, little minx.” He gnarled. His voice was dripping with mockery.

“Would you stop calling me that?!” You snapped. “I am not _little,_ this was _your_ fault! _You_ were the one who just left me there all alone, they were going to sell me as a slave, for Fuck’s sake, what was I supposed to say? I don’t have supernatural fighting skills like you do!”

“In any case I should have concealed you!” He yelled, shaking his head in the process. “If I had known you are too stupid to hide or at least come up with a proper excuse for your presence!”

“ _I_ am stupid?! I was freaking out, you selfish prick!”

Taking a deep breath, you massaged your temples until automatically, you reached for your hand to scratch the back of it frantically. _Do not panic, not again,_ not _again._ Your fingernails bloody by the time you realised what you were doing, pulling away quickly.

Still, Loki noticed, frowning.

“Either way, there is no way out now,” he said then, surprisingly gentle. “We stay the night and I contact Thor tomorrow.”

Slouching your shoulders, you took a deep breath.

“You’re going to help him, aren’t you?”

“Am I?” Tilting his head, Loki sought out your gaze, stealing yet another heartbeat from you. What was it about him? You were so _angry_ with him you wanted to slap him over and over until he begged you to stop, hurt him for being this selfish when in fact, you would act no different.

“What changed your mind?”

“A very interesting conversation,” he replied. Flattered, you bit your lower lip. Had what you had told him yesterday night in fact altered his point of view? Perhaps you hadn’t dreamed when hearing Loki promise to bring you back home safely after all. Was it okay to hope for that?

Letting out a shaky breath, you closed your eyes to calm down.

“Go to sleep, little minx.” He ordered tenderly.

You just didn’t understand him. One moment, he was so provocative and cruel you wanted to hate him and then in the next… he was charming and almost considerate. Was this what had brought him the nickname Trickster? Did he play everyone’s feelings like an instrument?

“Please don’t leave me alone here.”

Loki sighed. “I won’t. I will be here when you wake up. Now go to sleep.”

He had proven you he was not to trust. But did you do it, against all reason? Truth was, you didn’t know.

_I belong to King Loki._ Well, maybe you did after all. So you obliged.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! Let it be a good one! Enjoy reading! ♥

A warm body was pressed against yours under the soft blanket when you woke up the next morning, the first sunbeams of the day tickling your skin. The numbing feeling of ease and protection flooded your senses as you blinked to get used to the brightness in the room, calming you down.

There was an arm wrapped around your waist, pressing you close in an almost possessive manner. Your eyes flew open when you realised whose arm it was.

Right after hungrily forcing down the strangely colourful dinner they had brought, you’d dropped into the surprisingly comfortable bed, falling asleep almost instantly. Loki must have joined you at some point, and for some odd reason, your heart sped up upon feeling his strong body this tightly against yours.

You swallowed rather nervously when he suddenly stirred, mumbling something incomprehensible before opening his eyes.

“Good morning,” you murmured quietly, unsure of how he would react. For just a brief moment, Loki only frowned, then pulled away from you slowly as if he were confused by his actions himself.

“Good morning.” He finally replied then, climbing out of bed to walk over to the window. Sakaar didn’t exactly look beautiful in the morning—it rather reminded you of how you were not on Earth anymore. Immediately, the familiar feeling of fear dug its claws deep into your heart, making you nauseous.

 _Calm down_ , you scolded yourself. Another panic attack was the last thing you needed right now, not in front of Loki. _Not again._

“What are we going to do now?” You whispered, facing Loki’s back. The God of Mischief turned around.

“ _We_ aren’t going to do anything, little minx. I will continue to work on gaining the Grandmaster’s trust and you will go back to Thor where you can’t cause any more trouble.” Frankly, he didn’t sound angry anymore. Rather… teasing. Scoffing, you crossed your arms before your chest.

“Are you _still_ blaming me? The Grandmaster seemed to be rather fond of me, I technically helped you.”

Loki shot you a warning glare. “Did you now? You were never supposed to be here in the first place, little minx.

You were wide awake in an instant.

“Don’t you think I know that? Did you think for even a second that I _want_ to be here? I’m on an alien planet whose inhabitants want to enslave me and with gods I read about in books on Norse Mythology, I never wanted _any_ of this!” You bellowed, breathing frantically.

Damn those tears! Burning hot and salty, they transformed Loki into a black spot before your field of view.

“Did you think I did? I finally had what I wanted. A throne, a kingdom, recognition… Hela took it all away from me all because my humble brother decided to come back and play the hero again. Don’t you think I’d too rather be in Asgard, eating grapes and not worrying about Ragnarok?!” He was yelling now too, making you slump back into bed. Ragnarok. What was Ragnarok? It sounded fairly familiar.

“Loki…”

“I will ask for something to eat for you, then I shall bring you back to Thor.” He decided. You barely stopped yourself from saying _I want to stay with you._ You were probably better off staying with Thor. Unlike Loki, he would actually care about your well-being and make sure you stayed safe.

 _Loki_ has _kept you safe thus far_ , you thought, biting your lower lip.

Still, a simple “Okay,” was all you managed to answer.

* * *

Loki made sure to let you pay for lumber him a slave. During breakfast with the Grandmaster, he constantly ranted about how you were in fact so needy you had to be treated like a cherished pet. Upon being asked, however, if he had, perhaps, emotionally gotten attached to you, he gave you an undecided look.

“Perhaps I have,” he had said thoughtfully, and although it had sounded like yet another lie, your heart had skipped another painful beat.

When he sneaked you out, this time concealing you as to not attract any unwanted attention, neither of you spoke a word until you arrived at the wreck of the space ship Thor was hiding in, the impact of what had happened the day before as well as how you had slept cuddled up against each other strong and heavy like a chain of rocks.

Something was happening between the two of you, though you couldn’t exactly tell what it was. Perhaps it was some kind of understanding, a mutual agreement of accepting each other, tolerating each other’s ways. Whatever it was, it surely felt different from how humans usually treated him, that you were certain of.

You almost regretted calling him selfish and vain the other night, even though you knew that it was, to some extent at least, the truth.

“Where have you been so long, brother?” Thor complained when you entered the cave-like shelter, causing the God of Mischief to roll his eyes at the Thunderer.

“I told you I was going to settle down here, however, I did find out some pretty interesting things.” He mused. That he had. You held back a nod as you sat down in a corner, attempting to digest the previous day.

“Well, so have I.” Thor grunted moodily.

“So does this mean you don’t want my help? I couldn’t jeopardise my position with the Grandmaster.” Not once did he mention what role _you_ had played in all of that. Shaking your head, you leaned back and watched the brothers discuss.

Loki was just provoking him now. He knew Thor would, in the end, need his skills to survive, let alone get away from here—and so did you.

“Hela has invaded Asgard. She took the throne and killed the whole of Asgard’s defence, including Volstagg, Fandral and Hogan. Heimdall said she used to draw her power from Helheim before she came back, from the very core of the planet.”

“So you did reach him?” Loki replied unimpressed. Thor nodded. “And I have a plan.”

“So have I.”

“Really? How many times have _your_ plans worked out, Loki?”

“Compared to yours? I _am_ going to help you, so be grateful, _brother_. What do _you_ suggest we do?” He sneered, sitting down next to you. The Thunderer sighed, ignoring Loki’s question but he might as well admit that he didn’t know.

“(Y/N), how are you feeling?”

“I’m alive,” you answered, raising your eyebrows just a little.

“I will make sure to bring you back home as soon as possible and as soon as we have put an end to Hela’s schemes, then you’ll be safe to go. The Sorcerer will help, I am sure.”

“And what if that takes several months?” You interrupted hastily. “The Grandmaster told Loki the planet was surrounded by gateways. Just send me through one that leads back to Earth.”

“It would tear you apart,” Loki said calmly. “You will need a spaceship. I doubt you can fly one of them.”

The flattering hope that had flooded your body faded as quickly as it had erupted in your heart.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N), but there is nothing I can do for you as of now. I will protect you with my life but Hela has to be our first priority. We have to stop her.”

Disappointed, you sunk back into the battered leather seat. It felt like with every conversation, you were moving in circles.

“Then let me help you and do something. The faster this stupid bitch is gone, the faster I can go home.”

It was selfish—offering your help just to save yourself—it was no less than what Loki was doing in this very moment and perhaps this was the reason you were this intrigued by him. You knew he wouldn’t judge you for this.

“(Y/N), that is too dangerous. We don’t know these people.”

Loki stared into the distance, fixating the broken wall of the space ship at the other end of the shelter.

“Let her spy on the Grandmaster.” He suggested, referring to what you had told his scrappers. You bit your lower lip. At least you would get to spend more time with Loki that way. It was almost strange you preferred him over Thor.

“I knew there was something foul about you.” Alarmed, you all turned around, facing the entrance of the plane wreck. It was Valkyrie, standing in the middle of it with clenched fists and narrowed eyes, a suspicious glistening in them. Her lips were pursed.

“How were you able to follow me?” Loki demanded to know, sounding stern and severe.

The dark-skinned woman shrugged. “I know what magic smells like. So? Who are you and where are you really from? All of you? Tell me the truth and I might consider not telling the Grandmaster right away, Lackey.”

“It’s Loki. And I _am_ of Asgard.”

“The king?” She asked, clearly not convinced. Given she was Asgardian as well, she must have known Odin as the rightful king of Asgard… with her absence, however, not that he had died.

Loki smiled sweetly—it was a threatening, dark and fake smile. “The one and only,”

“Not if I have a say in that. I am Thor, son of Odin. Who are you?”

“A Scrapper,” She shrugged once more. “Son of Odin, huh? If that’s true, your majesty, then why would Odin leave the throne to some vain would-be royal like him?”

“Hey!”

“Loki is my brother. He’s adopted.” Thor murmured darkly. His voice was hoarse and full of pain. You hadn’t even thought about it yet. With the Allfather dead, the Thunderer had lost his father… and in a way, Loki had too. It was getting to him, you could tell. If he had wanted to, he would have killed him long ago already.

“Something you would know if you didn’t hide here on Sakaar like a coward. Or a traitor,” Loki cooed. He was eerily calm given she had just discovered them planning something behind the Grandmaster’s back. _He definitely has done this before_ , you thought.

Again, you bit your lower lip, scratching the back of your hand. It hurt—the wound you had caused yourself last night was still healing.

“Loki, what are you talking about?”

“She’s Asgardian.” You chirped, staring her down spitefully. Now that she was threatening to bust you, you hated her all the more. It was pretty clear she had no respect whatsoever for the royal brothers in front of her. Well, this wasn’t Asgard, after all. She was in charge here on Sakaar.

“Asgardian?”

The Scrapper rolled her eyes. “I was. A long time ago before the both of you ever saw the light of the day. I am someone else now.”

“Then you need to help us. Asgard is in danger—“ Thor started, taking a step towards her. She was quick to react, drawing a pointy dagger within the twinkling of an eye and pointing it at him incredulously.

“I don’t help anyone. If it is, be lucky you’re stuck here because no one leaves this place.”

It was Loki who leaned forward then, his lips parting in surprise.

“You’re a Valkyrie,” he stated, his eyes locking with a barely visible tattoo on her arm which, now that she was stretching out her hand, impossible to overlook.

 _A Valkyrie?_ You had heard of them. Read about them in books and seen remarkable, breath-taking pictures. Fierce female warriors, protecting the throne of Asgard with their lives, looking both alluring, powerful and stunning. No wonder she was so… so… so beautiful and strong. Jealousy punched you in the stomach, making you slouch your shoulders and wonder once more what you had done to deserve all of this.

A sigh escaped your lips.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! How are you doing? Enjoy this new chapter! ♥

“Look, forget it. I have. That’s long in the past.” There was more than she let on, both Loki and you noticed in the very same moment. Still, you kept your mouth shut, observing quietly. “Go ahead, try to find a way to escape this place and get yourself killed. I won’t be a witness of that.”

“Odin is dead.”

The Valkyrie froze dead in her tracks.

“Hela, the Goddess of Death has invaded Asgard. Heimdall showed me. She is bringing death and destruction over the entire realm and I need to stop her.”

“Hela,” she repeated, turning around again slowly. “If Hela’s back, Asgard’s already lost. Trust me that if there were an opportunity to drive my sword through the guts of that murderous hag, I would take it. But there isn’t.”

Loki opened his mouth, frowning. You could tell he was already working Valkyrie into his plans.

“There is in fact a way out. The gateways surrounding this planet. Surely one of them will lead us straight to Asgard.” He suggested triumphantly.

“Not Asgard,” Thor interrupted determined. “Helheim.”

The God of Mischief tilted his head in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. Heimdall said Hela draws her power from Helheim, the place she was banished to, she brought the realm under her control. If we destroy that source of strength, she will be vulnerable for us to attack and _then_ , we return to Asgard.”

“You want to destroy Helheim?” Valkyrie tossed in, unbelieving.

“No, I want to shut down the very core of the planet. It will not affect life there… I mean, there’s no life on Helheim, only death anyway.”

Loki rolled his eyes.

“We’d need a stronger ship. Those gateways will tear mine to pieces.” She then continued.

What was happening here? You didn’t trust this woman. Only moments before, she had been threatening you and now, all of a sudden, she wanted to help?

“Why would you want to help us? You came here to report us to the Grandmaster, didn’t you? What makes you think we can trust you?” It was ironic, really, since for the last couple of days, you had been spending time with none other than the God of Lies himself. If anyone wasn’t to trust, it was him but, quite frankly, the fact you were stranded on an alien planet was stressing you out and eating you up from the inside. Loki was all you had, given that even Thor was focusing on bringing peace to his home realm. Loki had allowed you to come with him despite his obvious annoyance, not storing you away safely in a corner until everything was over.

Until then, Valkyrie had been ignoring you completely. There was no reason for her to pay any attention to you, after all, she had gotten to know you as an obedient—more or less—pet kneeling at Loki’s feet. Hot anger boiled in your stomach upon remembering how humiliating it had been.

“I am a _Valkyrie_.”

“Yes, pretty tragic, you died a virgin,” you murmured groggily, remembering what you had read in Norse Mythology books. Loki smirked when she rolled her eyes and then went on unaffected. “Odin once sent the Valkyrie to fight Hela back when she escaped her banishment. We lost back then…” For a brief moment, painful memories flashed in her dark eyes. “If there is even a slight chance we kill her once and for all, I’m in.”

“I don’t mean to impose,” Loki added, clearly amused. The tension between the Valkyrie and you was tangible, your ugly dislike mutual.

“…but before we can even think about stealing a ship—with which I can be of big help I can ensure you—we need to find out which gateway will bring us to Helheim in the first place.”

“The Grandmaster knows them all,” Valkyrie replied, shooting him a hateful look. “He doesn’t ever talk about them though.”

“I can make sure he will.” Loki promised. “(Y/N) will come with me to spy on him, it will be less conspicuous.”

Valkyrie raised her eyebrows, unbelieving. “Your slave?”

“I’m _not_ his slave.” You grumbled, clenching your fists. Loki held back a chuckle, you could practically feel it.

“Slave? What are you talking about?”

The God of Mischief shrugged, unaffected.

“I will not let you put (Y/N) in any more danger, Loki.”

“Very well,” he sighed. “I shall go alone. Let’s get to work.”

* * *

They had it all planned out within two days, excluding you completely. Of course, what help could you have been, being here entirely by accident in the first place? Valkyrie kept shooting you scornful glances whenever you approached Loki, noticing with slight distaste how you sought out protection by his side.

Perhaps it was a natural reaction, her disliking him because you, more or less, got along with him. Every time she was near you, however, you felt like a nasty and unnecessary insect and it made you wanting to throw up.

As if the end of a career that hadn’t ever properly started, Susan’s death, the humiliation of pretending to be Loki’s _pet_ before the Grandmaster’s nosey eyes and this bloody and way too colourful planet wasn’t enough yet, she decided it would be fun to try and bully you.

Her smug smile was disgusting when she returned from a private conversation with Loki, having figured out exactly how to steal the Grandmaster’s access codes to “borrow” a ship.

“This is madness.” He concluded when Valkyrie opened another bottle of what resembled beer. She had left twice to get new supplies, making you wonder how one body could absorb this much alcohol without perishing. But then again, she wasn’t entirely human. God, how you hated her. “It’s worked before, it will work again. Don’t be such a spoilsport.”

With that, she went outside to get some fresh air. It was dark out already, the sun having gone down hours ago and making space for a full moon. Soon, you would have to start counting the days you were here. You had lost too much already. You didn’t want to let go of your sense of time as well.

“What were you talking about, Loki?” You asked casually, sitting down next to him. The God of Mischief smirked.

“Nothing you would have to worry about, little minx.”

“Do you trust her? I mean… she changed her mind pretty quickly.”

“She will be helpful. Just be vigilant around her.”

Of course you would be. After what little time you had spent with Loki already, you knew it was essential to survive. He could have gotten you killed several times already and yet, he hadn’t. Even if he claimed you were but an unimportant mortal—your own words, to be exact—he seemed to care.

He was so… different than what the media had made him out to be, different from how Thor had described him. Bad traits like egoism, this unbelievable smugness and his constant urge to be worshipped, you clearly saw too when you looked at him… and perhaps it was just the fact you were lonely in this godforsaken place but deep inside, so you figured, Loki did have a good heart. It was strange how it had taken you only a couple of days to find out, to convince yourself of how easy it was to trust him.

Whether it was a grave mistake, you were yet to find out but you were willing to take the risk. You hadn’t exactly anything left to lose.

“Thank you,” you suddenly heard yourself whispering, locking eyes with him only to have airplanes take off in your stomach. Heavens, what was happening to you? You couldn’t possibly like him _that_ much. He was intriguing, fascinating, charming and excitingly dangerous even… it was what drew you to him this much, right? There was no way in hell your liking for him could go beyond a casual acquaintance that would end after you had both made it out of here safe and alive.

Loki looked surprised, almost as if no one had ever thanked him for his actions. Softness was reflecting in his mesmerising blue eyes, threatening to melt your knees into a useless puddle of feelings. _Tell me this isn’t happening._ What was it about him?

“For what?” He finally replied. If anything, he sounded utterly taken aback.

“I mean, you kind of protected me and you didn’t have to do that. I’m not dead.”

Loki pursed his lips, sighing loudly. Your eyes instantly wondered to his mouth and you wondered quietly what it would feel like to… _no, stop it._

“You’re welcome.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! I have survived the majority of my exams... that means time for writing again! :3 Have fun reading!

The next day was all but a haste. You had barely slept on your pathetic excuse for a bed, restlessly turning from side to side in the hopes of finding a relatively comfortable position but no matter how hard you tried, sleep would not come. Too stirred up were your bloody emotions and confusing feelings for the God of Mischief, who had spent the rest of the night with Valkyrie, riddling out a diabolic plan.

Your heart ached upon seeing them together, exchanging their skills, knowledge and experience. What was that? Jealousy? That was impossible. Loki was a _god_ and you were but a “mere” mortal, unimportant, like you had phrased it yourself. How would he ever even look at you twice? How would you ever _want_ him to look at you twice?

Last night… you had shared something. No, you had shared something every night, if only by sleeping next to each other and accepting each other’s presence regardless of your origins and actions. Mute agreement and understanding bonded the two of you, even if neither Loki nor you wanted to admit that but of course, your stupid heart had to make yet another awful decision to shatter to pieces even further. First, Susan’s death, then, your involuntary farewell to your home planet and now, _feelings_ for Loki.

Were they feelings? _Real_ feelings? Were you honestly developing a crush on this man?

It was like you summoned him like a demon when suddenly, he entered the remnants of the plane… topless. You hadn’t seen him all morning, most likely he had gone back to the Grandmaster’s quarters to not raise any suspicion and now, nothing more than black and tight leather pants and boots covered his well-defined body, making your mouth water in an instant.

Unwillingly, your eyes roamed over his form, taking in every detail for… for what? Were you honestly committed enough to remember this marvellous view? Oh but you were… Loki was… the term handsome didn’t even come close. He really did live up to his smug “I-am-a-god” attitude. He had all right to claim to be one with these not prominent but clearly visible muscles, the rather pale and flawless skin and the raven hair falling over his shoulders to create a breath-taking contrast.

You swallowed, forcing yourself to tear your gaze away and focusing on the back of your hand instead. You had unconsciously started to scratch it again last night before going to bed, all the while begrudgingly watching Valkyrie and Loki talking for what felt like hours on end and now, your reddened and irritated skin was burning from the pressure of your nails. Well, it was the least of your problems now, including your growing liking for Loki. Your sprained arm had turned out not to be sprained at all too, after all, the pain forgotten and gone soon after your not so graceful landing on Loki.

The God of Mischief chuckled, not bothering to hide his amused smirk as he walked further into the provisory shelter and used his seidr to magically wrap clothes around his body. Green silk with ridiculous yellow accents hid his chest then, causing you to blink and turn your attention to his eyes. His damn blue eyes… _bad idea._

He had noticed your staring but still, he said nothing when he mused a teasing “Good morning” before waving his hand. The green shimmering light never ceased to impress you, especially for this time, a tray of fruits and fresh bread appeared before you on the battered leather seat. It looked a lot more appealing and edible like what you had had for dinner two nights before, the smell luring you to take a bite and ravish the taste. _Breakfast. Normal breakfast… oh heaven._

“The Grandmaster sends his best wishes to my ‘pet’. He is still very determined to persuade you to teach his slaves how to properly pleasure a man with their mouth.” He explained.

_Pleasure a man…_ how could something so dirty (and disgusting in the context) sound so sensual and… _sexy_ out of his mouth? The way his thin lips had moved to form them made you imagine how _his_ mouth would pleasure _you_.

Oh fucking shit, what was happening to you?

You growled to express your dismay and scare the thoughts away, rolling your eyes insolently. “Well, at least he gave me some proper food. Thank you.”

Loki nodded. For just a split second, his expression turned somewhat… gentle, soft even as he watched you dig into the fruits and bread almost… caringly but then, as quickly as you had assumed to have spotted it, it was gone again, replaced by sternness and curious… _irksome_ interest for who entered the cave next.

Valkyrie yawned, a half empty glass bottle in her hands as she stalked past him and came to a halt in the middle of the vast space, arms akimbo and, as usual, completely ignoring your presence. Had she sensed yet that you hated her with a passion? She must have. You were painstakingly trying to be obvious. Not having her talk to you was, actually, a blessing.

You desperately wanted to ask him what they had been talking about last night. Hell, you wanted to know if there was something _else_ between them as well, even if it would humiliate you. Loki was a smart man, he would instantly know you were into him.

The thought made you drop the grape you were about to eat, your mouth agape with utter shock. _You were into him._ You were _not_ into him, for Fuck’s sake.

“We’re gonna get ourselves killed,” she started, her voice a little slurry already. You rolled your eyes once more. Oh, drunk this early already? How ladylike. “Thor’s crazy if he thinks we’ll be able to destroy the core of a planet just like that. Even if we do it for the sake of stopping Ragnarok.” Snapping her fingers to emphasise her words, she cocked her head to mutely ask him to join her outside. Her eyes flickered over to you for a brief moment. The message was clear. She didn’t want you to hear whatever they were about to discuss—that, or she wanted to talk about you. This time, it was probably the latter.

You barely resisted the urge to throw a warm bread roll at her. _No._ This bread roll was more valuable than this stupid drunk woman. Were you being childish? Maybe; but right now, you didn’t care.

“You will stay exactly where you are while we are gone, yes?” Loki suddenly spoke. Taken aback, you set down the bread roll and crossed your arms defiantly.

“What else am I supposed to do?”

“There is a range of things I could imagine.” He replied with a smirk, winking at you as he did. Your heart skipped a beat. _Fuck you, god damn it!_ There was no space in your body to feel things such as lust, desire and romance. You had lost one of your best friends, you were stranded on a different planet… the only thing you should focus on was how to survive and instead, your breathing sped up as if you had run a marathon as soon as Loki gifted you with his presence. You were _outraged_ by yourself and yet, you wouldn’t have it any other way… letting the grief consume you like you had before accidentally seeking out Loki at Doctor Strange’s house a few days ago was the far less pleasing option.

“I will make sure to keep an eye on you and conceal you from the scrappers.”

His words stole yet another heartbeat from you. Why would he care?

“H-how?”

“Magic, little minx.”

Your whole body filled with warmth at the thought of it. _I will make sure to keep an eye on you._ Thor had not proposed that, he had not offered that. Swallowing thickly, you bit your lower lip, facing your food once more as if that banana would provide you with answers to all of the crazy questions racing through your mind.

_What am I feeling? Why is Loki being so thoughtful? Why am I jealous of Valkyrie? What the fuck is wrong with me?!_

Loki smirked again before leaving the cave without a word of good bye, replacing his presence with confusion and fear. Your anxiety of this planet seemed to have ceased, especially because he was with you—sure, you were still afraid the scrappers would catch you and sell you to the Grandmaster but strangely, the thought of Loki eased and got you worked up at the very same time.

You needed to tell him to be careful, even if it was unnecessary but something inside you wanted him to know you cared and were grateful for his actions the days before—except of course, for the pleasure slave part. You could still kick him in his royal balls for that one.

Smiling to yourself sweetly and lost in thought, you got up on your feet, abandoning your breakfast to step out into the more or less fresh Sakaarian air—and froze in mid-action when your lips parted to call him back.

You saw Valkyrie before you saw him, her mouth pressed tightly against Loki’s. Both her hands were clutching at his robes as she pushed him against the battered corpus of the plane wreck. You were desperately hoping that the silent moan that escaped his lips was from surprise and anger and not pleasure when you stumbled back, bolting to where you came from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm evil. Sorry. Not sorry. Sorry.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! I just couldn’t let you suffer so much. So, without further ado… here is the next chapter. Enjoy! ;-)

This shouldn’t bother you. Loki was a _god_ , Valkyrie was just that—a Valkyrie. They were perfect for each other, strong, fierce, confident… you couldn’t have possibly thought for even a second that _you’d_ stand a chance of winning more than just his friendship? Hell, Loki wasn’t even a _friend_ , to him you were probably nothing more than useless luggage he had to carry around on this goddamn planet.

The first sob escaped your lips after Thor announced their departure. Loki did not come back inside. You were glad he didn’t—the pain of seeing him again now, imagining how he had been snogging that gruesome Asgardian woman stung in your heart like someone had shoved a glowing dagger inside it.

How was this even possible? How could you feel this broken and hurt? You barely knew the God of Mischief, hadn’t known him for longer than a couple of days and still… the tears wouldn’t stop rolling. Not when you tried to finish what was left of his breakfast, not when you tried to lie down and rest for a while and not even when you peeked outside in the hopes of finding something interesting or useful.

All those tears… all those tears for a man you couldn’t have. Crying shamelessly into the silence of the plane wreck, you buried your face in your hands. You came to one decision. Loki mustn’t ever learn about your feelings for him. Your ridiculous, unreasonable and _dangerous_ feelings that were all but painful, annoying and as unnecessary as your presence here on Sakaar.

And then the anger came. The urge to toss Valkyrie down an abyss, to rip out her flawless hair and wipe that smug grin off her face grew with every second you dried your tears with your jacket, cursing your absurd feelings once more. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Maybe you should just leave on your own, abandon this fucked up place for good. Thor made no effort to get you back to Earth, after all, which was understandable, given he had to save his own people and still… you wanted to knock him over with his broken hammer for neglecting your desire to return home.

It felt like a warm summer day, when everyone was hot, drinking ice cold water—but no one around willing to share some of the soothing liquid with you. Sighing, you examined the back of your hand. The wound was itching, the scratches reddened and still a little bloody. If only you were back in that apartment they had given Loki… you could take a shower.

Why on Earth hadn’t you thought about that before? All of a sudden, you felt _dirty_. Not just because of your excessive crying session and snot you had had to wipe into your jacket rather than a tissue but also because of your damn feelings that clawed at you like nasty parasites.

Those feelings for this mischievous man you wanted to hate—but couldn’t, even after seeing him… no. _Stop thinking about it._

You were tempted to just leave the plane wreck, ignoring the promise Loki had wrung from you and find his quarters to enjoy a warm bath. It was partially your doing the Grandmaster was so fond of him, after all. You might as well draw an advantage out of your fucked up situation.

But you were scared. Scared to run into some more scrappers, scared to be sold, scared to be killed. _No._ Staying here was for the best. Even if it took hours of boredom and pain.

 

It did take hours. Hours, in which you kept forcing back tears, pacing up and down until you were sure to have left a trace on the ground and then finally, lying down again, trying to sleep. It would not come. Instead, with every minute that passed, with every inch the sun disappeared a little more behind the endless piles of debris, concern rose deep inside your chest.

There was still no sign of them, still no sign of Loki. What if something had happened to them? With a start, nerve-wrecking concern mixed with your heartache, memories of you lying next to him awakening and bombarding your body until your mind begged you for release.

When you closed your eyes, you could still feel his strong arms around your waist, protective and possessive, luring you into safety. You wanted to be the one kissing him, the one making him moan in pure bliss.

Who had initiated this kiss? Loki himself? Valkyrie? Upon their first meeting, it had seemed like they _loathed_ each other. They probably still did, so what was this? Part of Loki’s crazy plan? A love-hate-relationship that did no good to anyone? _No, wait…_ you didn’t want to know, not really.

Not if all that it did was causing you more agony and—

The tortured grunting in the distance made you halt and hurl to your feet. Your vision went black for a second but you ignored the dizziness overcoming you when you staggered outside, the ability to breathe leaving you for a full thirty seconds at what you saw.

Valkyrie was limping. A bleeding wound decorated her forehead right above her right eye—she didn’t seem weakened, instead, she was on fire. _Furious_ , screaming, disgusted and indignant. Her words were but a blur to you, almost as if deafness took over, for all you focused on only the fraction of a second after was Loki.

Tired and exhausted, he climbed up the piles of debris towards you—towards the plane wreck—and let himself fall on his provisory bed without a word. He barely made it as he was panting and coughing, holding back cries of pain. Had he even noticed your presence?

He was injured too. His right hand was covered in nasty burns, bleeding heavily and already forming blisters. A shocked whimper escaped your lips.

“W-what happened?” You didn’t pay much attention to Thor and Valkyrie once they were close enough as well, instead rushed over to Loki’s side and knelt down before him. His hand looked even worse up close. Resisting the urge to gag when the smell of burned flesh filled your nostrils, you bit your lower lip and watched him close his eyes to restore his energy.

“We got surprised by that stupid dog…” Valkyrie started, shooting Loki a disgusted glance.

“Dog? What dog?”

Loki growled. “Fenris. Hela’s wolf. He was guarding her source of power.”

“Yeah, only he was merely a distraction.” Thor tossed in. He too was covered in blood, dirt and grime, yet he seemed hardly affected by the recent events. “With the fire demons, the wolf was the least of our problems.”

“Forget the fire demons!” Valkyrie suddenly shrieked. “Your adopted _brother_ is a _monster_!”

So this was what this was about. Not the fight. Not the probably failed mission that had almost killed them.

A monster? Your heart stung as if the Asgardian had plunged a dagger into the muscle, only this time, the drowning sadness you had pitied yourself with for the last couple of hours, made space for an undying and seething rage.

“What are you talking about, _Valkyrie_?”

“He is a _Frost Giant._ ” She spat.

Loki hissed. “I saved your life! And Thor’s! The fire would have swallowed you up as a whole!”

“I don’t care! You’re a _monster_. All the grief and pain your race has brought over Asgard after I left… how would you let someone like him rule our people?” She said then, turning to Thor for a moment. “I can’t believe we… you can consider yourself lucky I didn’t kill you then and there.”

A Frost Giant. You remembered the stories. Rulers of ice bringing cold and death over Earth, centuries ago. Forerunners of Ragnarök. So Loki wasn’t Asgardian after all. He was a Jötun, he… he could turn _blue_ and create ice and snow with his bare hands.

“I am honoured you let me live.” Loki replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He was still in pain—it was prominent in the tone of every word he spoke. But there was more to it than that.

What difference did it make? With a start you recalled what you had seen before their departure. Valkyrie kissing Loki like her life depended on it, losing herself in his touches and the sensation of his soft lips… how could all of this be insignificant now just because he was of a different race? Humans had brought a lot of pain to their own planet too in the past. They still did now and yet, here you all were, falling for each other.

He was still the man you had, against all reason, developed feelings for.

“ _You_ enslave people for a disgusting old geezer after _leaving_ the place you have sworn to protect and now you threaten Loki for saving your life with his abilities?! What the _fuck_ is wrong with you, Valkyrie?!” Fuming, you rose to your feet and clenched your fists.

His pain was yours. The anxious glistening in Loki’s eyes was barely visible but when you had looked up at him, you noticed.

“Get the fuck out of my sight before I _scratch_ out your eyes.” You spat through gritted teeth. Valkyrie instantly took a threatening and combative step forward, only to be held back by Thor who sensed she would indeed attack and make you pay for your bold choice of words and Loki… Loki simply stared, his hand still aching and taking up most of his attention, though you could tell he still listened to every single word being exchanged. If he was impressed by your tantrum, he did not show.

Valkyrie mumbled something you couldn’t quite understand before she left the plane wreck again, stomping off to her ship. No one dared stop her, not even Thor who knew they could still use all the help he could get.

“I’m sorry,” you finally whispered, kneeling down once more to carefully examine Loki’s hand. You knew he had extraordinary healing abilities, yet the process seemed to slow down whenever you laid your eyes upon his injury.

“It will heal, little minx.”

“I know. I mean Valkyrie. She had no right to say that. I’m sorry.”

The God of Mischief frowned, surprised by your words. Leaning back just a little, he settled for a nod.

“If she can’t accept who… or _what_ you really are, no matter what it is, she’s not the one.” You continued, enhancing his confusion. “I mean… I saw you kiss.” You explained quickly.

Loki smirked weakly. “We did a lot more than kiss over the last two days.”

Your heart skipped a beat, his words punching you in the guts mercilessly, mocking you as they did.

“You… you had sex?”

“Several times,”

“Oh.”

He had slept with her. Loki had… he might as well rip your heart out. What was that about being his pleasure slave again? Right now, in this very moment, you _longed_ for your shared lies to be _real._ Would it hurt less then? _Hardly._

“Now, don’t act so coy, little minx. It was just sex but I doubt she will go near me again after today.” _It was just sex._ Sex with a real Valkyrie. No feelings? No strings attached? Your tongue itched to ask him and pry into that personal matter even further, your lips, however, seemed to be glued together as you recalled how Valkyrie had called him a vain would-be royal. Had she changed her mind? Or was she simply as attracted to his looks and cheeky attitude as you were?

In the end, it was shame that held you back. Shame that although you felt sorry for Loki and the spiteful words Valkyrie had said, whatever they had been seems to now have ended before it had even properly begun… right? Was it okay to be glad? No.

No, it was absolutely not okay and yet… you didn’t feel guilty. You were actually beyond _happy_ about it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Showdown! & I promise the next chapter will be longer!

“Where is Loki? I need to talk to him.”

Loki had explained that burns usually took him a lot longer to heal than regular injuries. Given he was a Frost Giant, the coldness’ biggest enemy was, after all, fire. You had watched in awe how he had frozen the piece of cloth you had found to wrap around his palm to cool it and then asked him how exactly he had saved Valkyrie’s life.

She was being ungrateful, racist even. And now she was back, bragging with her fierce appearance and staring you down like a venomous little insect.

“You’ve said enough today, don’t you think?” You spat in response, your lips curling.

“What business is that of yours, you’re just a slave. Know your place, for Valhalla’s sake.”

“Oh my God, for the last time, I am _not_ a slave! We just made that up, okay?!”

“Okay,” Valkyrie shrugged, proceeding to step even closer to you. “Then why are you even here?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Is it?” She replied unbelievably. “Well then, I need to talk to Loki. Where is he?”

“Right now? I don’t know. He disappeared shortly after you called him a monster.” She would be stupid not to hear the judgement in your voice. She did, of course—and when she simply raised an eyebrow seemingly unimpressed, you opted to lunge at her and scratch off her face until she was crying like a little school girl.

“He _is_ a monster. I won’t apologise to him for that. That’s not what I’m here for,” Valkyrie sighed, leaning against the battered wall of the plane wreck. “But I realise he has saved my life and I owe him. Might as well work with him as long as Hela’s still out there.”

“Wow,” you breathed out. “So you want to tell him that he doesn’t deserve an apology but that you could still use him on your revenge trip?” Growling, you stood, facing her with gritted teeth. “Is there a specific reason for why you are so bitter? A traumatic childhood experience, maybe?”

Valkyrie stared daggers at you.

“Choose your next words wisely.”

“Oh, have I hit a nerve? Now you know how disgusting Loki feels, especially after you _slept_ with him! If you can’t swallow your own medicine, you better shut the fuck up and suck it in!”

Her battle cry was all but terrifying. Like a fury she pounced on you, daggers drawn faster than the twinkling of an eye. You docked down with a scream when she reached back to slice you open—your kick against her shin did little to nothing.

Instead, she brought her foot to your stomach, sending you slithering across the floor like a drunken snake. Grunting in pain, you staggered back to your feet, clenching your fist in the process. You actually managed to hit her upper arm before she hauled off once more, this time cutting your cheek.

Stinging agony spread on your face, your skin burning like fire as you felt a red liquid dripping down your neck. The smell of blood made your stomach curl but even worse, it made your aggressiveness and anger seethe.

Your wrist collided with her neck and had her gasp for air, satisfaction flooding your body for just a brief second before you were roughly pulled back and practically thrown against the wall.

Loki’s lips were parted as he pressed his whole body against yours, his hands effortlessly catching your wrists to stop your childish struggling. You were powerless against him, you knew, and still, the adrenaline in your body died down only slowly.

“Are you out of your mind?” He hissed, his voice an angry collection of words in a heavy British accent.

An indignant scoff escaped your lips. “She was the one who attacked me!”

It was only then you noticed how close he was to you. His muscles danced against your body, his face only mere inches from yours as he narrowed his eyes and then fixed his eyes on the injury on your cheek.

You didn’t put up a fight when he brought his fingers to your face to examine it, instead bathed in the sensation of his hand on your skin. It was cool and soft… like the ice cold kiss of a snowflake. Your lips parted. Should you apologise? You had defended him. There was nothing to apologise for, especially since Thor was, as you could see from the corners of your eye, occupied with calming down Valkyrie and explaining to her that you were under his protection and she was not to attack you again.

“It doesn’t hurt,” you stated bravely, right before Loki wiped away a bit of blood. You flinched when the pain struck across your face, stunning you for a brief moment. He raised his eyebrows. “It doesn’t hurt much.” You corrected yourself.

The God of Mischief only rolled his eyes in response.

“Where were you?” You asked when he retreated, letting go of you. The loss of his warmth was tragic, the urge to fling yourself into his arms growing with every second that passed. “Are you okay?”

Frowning, he nodded. “I am. I was with the Grandmaster and I will return to my apartment tonight. You will come with me.” Your heart skipped a beat. He wanted you to join him? “They have seen us together and they will become suspicious if you suddenly disappear on me.”

Oh. Well, he had a point there. The servants bringing dinner to Loki every night would idly wonder where his precious pleasure slave had gone. Biting your lower lip, you nodded. Besides, that way, you would finally get to take a shower.

“So? Are you going to explain why you believed you could take on a Valkyrie alone, little minx?”

You gnashed your teeth before wrapping your arms around yourself. _Because I think I am falling for you and hate her insulting you, that’s why._ Instead, you shrugged.

“I know why.” He then suddenly said calmly. His voice was provoking, mocking even. Panicking, you looked up to meet his blue gaze, your heart skipping a beat.

“Y-you know?”

“Yes. I know jealousy when I see it.” What? No! “The feeling has plagued me myself for many years… growing up with Thor.”

_You couldn’t be more wrong_ , _Loki,_ you thought, sighing as you did. Jealous? Well, maybe yes but not in the way he thought. The fact he had slept with her was still nagging at you and ripping a big hole into your chest. But that was not what he saw. _He_ saw a young mortal girl jealous of the powerful woman whose race went down in history.

“I can teach you,” Loki continued. Stopping dead in your tracks, you stared at him, your eyes widened.

“Teach me? Hang on a second… teach me what?”

“How to fight. If you are to stay here, you will have to be able to defend yourself. So I will teach you. Anything violent can be taught. Valkyrie only has a little head start.”

_Oh Loki…_

“Y-you… you really want to teach me?”

“Yes. But we will return here tomorrow to do so. If anyone sees me training my ‘slave’, they will ask questions I do not want to bother answering.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you have a nice week, everybody! Here’s a new chapter to make your Monday a little more bearable! ☺

“I’m not a champ at physics but if the hold of the dagger is heavier than the blade, shouldn’t I throw the knife by gripping the light end?”

Loki chuckled darkly. He was standing so close to you the body heat radiating off of him clouded your conscience. Every movement he made posed yet another distraction to what he was trying to teach you, regardless of how interested you were.

He had had a point—it was essential you knew how to properly defend yourself and oddly, when you had gone to sleep in Loki’s apartment next to each other after a wonderful hot shower, you had been looking forward to some adventurous hand-to-hand combat, where you finally had an excuse to touch him and explore his body.

Were you naughty for thinking that? In this very situation? Your life was in danger, one of your best friends had died, _you_ had almost died _and_ been enslaved and all you could do before falling asleep was wondering about how godly Loki would look naked. What was this? Some kind of self-defence mechanism your mind was developing? A tame version of Stockholm syndrome? Loki wasn’t your captor, you were very well aware of that, however.

“Theoretically, you are right. But if I let you throw these daggers with the blade in hand, you are going to cut yourself, little minx.” He explained tauntingly.

“You’re acting like I have never known violence before. I told you I am taking self-defence classes. Why aren’t we doing that first? Teach me how to throw a punch the way you would do it.”

“The people we are dealing with on this planet are, if anything, humanoid. They will crush you with their thumb, (Y/N), that is why you will be staying away from the battlefield.”

“I wasn’t planning on going at war, Loki.”

Pausing, he looked you directly in the eye and pressed his lips together to a thin line.

“You are already in one,” His expression darkened and for just a split second, you believed to have caught regret sparkling in his blue eyes. It was gone as soon as you noticed.

“Bend your wrist back toward your forearm.” Loki then commanded, pushing your legs apart for better balance. You almost moaned when his hands touched your thighs, his hips bumping against your back.

“Which is your dominant leg?”

“Right one,” you whispered.

The God of Mischief nodded.

“Place your weight on it like this.” Again, he reached for your thighs. You swallowed thickly, starting to believe that he was doing that just to tease you. He couldn’t know, of course, about your growing feelings for him, still, however, he seemed to be using you to fight his own boredom in between trying to figure out how to get back to Asgard and defeat Hela.

Well, if he continued like this, you certainly didn’t mind.

“When you swing the knife forward, you shift your weight from your dominant leg to your non-dominant leg. And make sure to keep enough distance between the blade and your head unless you fancy a new haircut.”

“Funny, really,” you grumbled, rolling your eyes all the while fighting a smile.

“Now throw. Let the dagger slip from your grasp and let your body follow forward. _Throw._ ”

You did. Loki’s dagger slashed through the air, rotating more or less horizontally until hitting the plane wreck—only did it not stick like the one he himself had thrown to demonstrate it to you. Granted, you had focused on the dancing of those gorgeous muscles under his dark leather armour of his in the process, still, the result had been impressive.

“You will need to apply more strength,” he remarked when he tilted his head and watched the dagger fall to the ground.

“Really? No ‘well done for your first try’?”

Smirking, his blue eyes locked with yours. You couldn’t tell whether it was a minute or an hour that passed until Thor made an appearance. Valkyrie was right behind him. She only shot you a disgusted glance, raising an eyebrow at the dagger on the dirty ground.

“Any news from Heimdall?” Loki turned away from you just long enough for you to figure out by yourself how to throw the next dagger at the back of the plane wreck as he handed it to you.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Thor shaking his head.

“Not yet. Thanks to you, he is on the run. He might be busy,” he replied sarcastically. The God of Mischief rolled his eyes.

Valkyrie opened a bottle of beer. “We need to get to Asgard as soon as possible.”

“Yes, I know but Heimdall is keeping an eye on Hela. We need to be careful and attack when she is least prepared.”

Sighing, you turned back to Loki.

“Did you two talk? I mean… did she apologise?”

Frowning, he opened his mouth. “She did not,”

“But is she still acting this… cold?” A great pun you had not intended to use. You resisted the urge to slap your palm against your forehead.

“I don’t believe that should be any concern of yours, little minx.”

“If you two don’t get along, you are hardly in the condition to save the world together and _thus_ , it affects me as well,” you lied, your tone smug and teasing.

Loki took the hint. He smirked mischievously at you.

“Throw the dagger.” He said, ending the conversation.

It was then you overheard Valkyrie’s voice, turning your attention back to her and Thor.

“…if we keep that stupid mortal girl around.”

Growling, you gripped the hold of the dagger tighter and resumed the correct position. _Place your weight on your dominant leg, bend your wrist back toward your forearm._

Just when you were about to throw the dagger, however, you turned, focusing all of your anger on the fierce Valkyrie only a few feet away from you. There was a slight chance you were going to hit Thor but you were willing to take the risk.

You let the blade slip from your grasp—and hit Valkyrie right in her thigh.

A painful scream escaped her lips, followed by a fake gasp on your behalf. Loki’s eyes widened as he stared at the bleeding wound his dagger had caused, then turned his gaze back to you to shoot you a reproachful look.

“Stupid girl, you did that on purpose!” Valkyrie shrieked.

“I swear I didn’t, I’m _so_ sorry! I’ve _just_ learned how to do that. I’m _so_ sorry.” You fought hard to hold back a laugh. You knew of course that Valkyrie just like Thor and Loki possessed supernatural healing abilities and that it wouldn’t take long for her to recover—you hadn’t actually planned on killing her, after all.

Still, and that was the part that scared you the most, the sight of her injury filled you with satisfaction, your revenge soothed for now. She deserved it. She had insulted Loki after using his body for her pleasure and she had offended you. There was no excuse. This woman was a nightmare.

Valkyrie stormed off, muttering vulgar curses in the process. Loki let out a taunting sigh.

“You did that on purpose, did you not?”

“No,” you answered, sounding entirely unaffected. “I was aiming for her head.” He chuckled when you shrugged.

* * *

You were sweating by the time Loki was done with your training. It had taken you another three hours of throwing knives on end, your arm aching and protesting with every movement, that he finally agreed on showing you the basic strategies of combat.

Three seconds in, he had thrown you to the ground effortlessly, mocking you for all the mistakes you were making. Apparently, your self-defence teacher hadn’t been so good, after all.

Grumbling, you scratched the back of your hand as you followed the God of Mischief back inside, ready to fall onto your provisory bed and rest your limbs until you had recovered.

You even ignored Valkyrie who, appalled by yours and Loki’s arrival, was lost in a heated conversation with Thor. Her thigh had healed already… unfortunately.

“I need a shower,” you murmured, eyeing your wet clothes in a disgusted manner as you looked down at yourself. Loki chuckled.

“What you need are new clothes. A shower will do nothing if you keep walking around in these garments. You have not changed them since the day I met you.” He stated dryly, as if the explanation was logical.

“I can’t just snap my fingers and magic some new clothes on me, Loki. If I could, I wouldn’t be complaining.”

The God of Mischief only tilted his head in response. You had learned by now he always did that when he pondered over something, intrigued, fascinated or alerted.

“Loki?” Thor waved at him, urging him on to join their conversation. “I know how we will get back to Asgard.”

Loki frowned. “Do tell.”

“You see that gateway? The big one?” He briefly pointed at the red glowing smoke pipe outside, outshining the sun. It was hideous.

Valkyrie nodded. “It’s the Devil’s Anus.”

“The what?” Blinking, the Thunderer shook his head.

“I have heard of it before. The Grandmaster mentioned it briefly when he invited me to his house.” Loki explained thoughtfully.

“Well, I didn’t know it was called that when I picked it. I was able to reach Heimdall again, Loki, that gateway will take us straight to Asgard. It will take us home.” All of a sudden, Thor sounded hopeful—dreamy, even. As if finally, he was going to this city he had been dreaming of for years. If only this were the case.

Silently, your gaze wandered back and forth between the two brothers.

“You do realise we will need a ship a lot stronger than the ones we used to get to Helheim? And even then it’s still risky. We might as well get ourselves killed.” Valkyrie tossed in. It seemed like the only thing this woman ever did was opening beer bottles. So she did now, taking a big gulp and then shooting you an evil glare.

Rolling your eyes, you crossed your arms and leaned back. Your arm was still throbbing like someone had trampled on it.

“Yes, I know, I know. That’s where Loki comes in. I have a plan, brother.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” he mumbled in response. You barely managed to hold back your giggling. Even if his joke was, given the circumstances, anything but nice or funny… you caught yourself laughing quietly.

You really had fallen for this man. When the realisation hit you, you gasped for air like a drowning kitten.

“You made friends with the Grandmaster. Loki, we need one of his ships. One that is big enough to get us back home safely.”

You would actually get to see Asgard then. The place you had read about in books about Norse Mythology… it _was_ impressive. Perhaps… perhaps this was, apart from meeting the God of Mischief, the only positive thing about the miserable situation you were in.

“You are talking about stealing the access codes to his security system…” He trailed of, frowning at the ground.

Thor nodded. “Could you do that?”

“The Grandmaster will hold one of his famous contests of champions tonight. He will be distracted. It will not be too difficult.”

“Then do it,” Valkyrie spat wrathfully. You resisted the urge to steal one of Loki’s daggers and stab her once more.

Loki simply ignored her harsh words and instead smiled at Thor as if he were about to steal cookies from the kitchen. Your heart skipped a beat when he suddenly turned to you.

“You come with me, little minx.”

He didn’t need to tell you twice.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy reading! ♥

The prospect of a hot shower was numbing the pain in your limbs as you eagerly followed Loki back to his apartment.

“You know… you didn’t have to hit me so hard.” You started to break the peaceful silence between you—never an uncomfortable one. Knowing this filled you with pride, the butterflies in your stomach swallowing imaginary LSD.

Loki laughed quietly, instantly sending a shiver down your spine as he opened the door to his apartment and moved to let you step inside first. At this time of the day, the hallways were nearly empty. The few guards you had come across, so you figured, would never harm you as long as he was right next to you—you were his _property_ , after all.

“Pain is a good teacher, little minx. Tomorrow, you won’t be making the same mistakes.”

“Sure. Laugh at me. The day will come where _I_ will pin _you_ to the ground.” You teased him in response, grinning wildly as you headed for the bathroom and got rid of your mangled jacket.

Loki smirked. “Is that so? Well, in this case, with me as your teacher, you might manage in a couple of centuries.”

“Great. Motivating… just you wait, you’ll see.” You replied playfully, winking as you did before disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door behind you to remove the rest of your clothes, throwing them to the floor in an untidy pile.

They were ruined already. There was no need to treat them with care, besides, what instead kept your mind busy when you stepped under the shower and enjoyed how instantly, warm water tickled your naked skin, was the fact you realised with a start what you’d just done. You had been _flirting_ with him. You had been flirting with Loki! If the God of Mischief noticed, he did not tell but quite certainly, you had to be more careful, for if you continued like this, he would notice your excessive liking into him faster than you could say _mischief._

After what felt like an hour of washing yourself with the scented foam and soaps, you were finally ready to leave the now steaming shower again, your naked and still moist form wrapped in a turquoise towel. You wanted to enjoy the feeling of being clean for a while longer before putting your dirty clothes back on. You almost gagged at the thought of it.

“Do you think they have washing machines on this planet?” You called, hoping Loki would hear you.

He smirked when he appeared in the threshold, his blue gaze boldly roaming over your half naked form. It made you flush so furiously you resembled a mellow tomato.

“I doubt that,” he replied amused, then briefly looked to the dirty pile of fabric on the tiles to your feet. “You won’t be needing them. Now you stay here and get ready. I will… take care of my brother’s… task.”

Get ready? Ready for what? _Oh._

“Wait… I’ll be joining you?” The contest of champions. Loki would be one of the Grandmaster’s cherished VIP guests. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

“It certainly is _an_ idea. You know he is very fond of you.” It was then you actually did gag. Loki chuckled. “Now get ready.” And with that, he vanished.

You were just about to open your mouth once more and ask him how you were supposed to get ready without any clothes when you suddenly spotted an emerald green dress made of the softest fabric you had ever seen right on the bed sheets.

Your lips parted when you reached for it to properly examine it. It was beyond beautiful, revealing just enough to be sexy but still appear modest. Had he asked the Grandmaster’s lackeys to bring it for you… or had he created it himself? Pouting in awe, you made a mental note to ask him later and dropped your towel to put it on. It fit like a glove. _Yes,_ you thought. _Definitely magic._

It took you a while until you riddled out what to do with your hair until you decided to simply let them fall over your shoulders. In one of the bathroom drawers, you even found some utensils resembling make-up among a few bottles of nail polish, remembering that the Grandmaster himself had… blue nails.

You shook your head and instead settled for framing your eyes with the dark coal. You didn’t recognise yourself once your eyes met your reflexion in the mirror. This woman didn’t look like Loki’s beloved pleasure slave wearing his colours. This woman… looked like his _queen._

Taking a deep breath, you suppressed what the delicious thought did to your mind and body and then flinched, alarmed, when Loki appeared right behind you. Perhaps you were unconsciously summoning him whenever you daydreamed about him.

The corners of his thin mouth twitched as he eyed you down from head to toe, approving of your appearance with a court nod. You didn’t know what you had expected. A compliment, maybe, an impressed gasp at the very least but of course, you were hardly as ravishing as Valkyrie.

“Your shoes will not do. Put on these.” He said, handing you pair of golden sandals. You simply nodded, grateful for not having to leave barefoot.

It left you wondering if he still thought about her naked body under his. You knew Loki was hurting, his trust issues putting stokes in his wheels. You could barely imagine he would sleep with someone simply for the fun of it… the way his blue eyes had sparkled that day they had returned from Helheim… Valkyrie calling him a monster had hurt him. Perhaps he was not in love with her—hell, you sincerely hoped so—but he certainly didn’t _hate_ her either. Not like you did.

“Did you… did you get the access codes?” You asked him when he led you outside, shortly before one of the Grandmaster’s servants picked you up to escort you to the arena.

Loki winked at you in response. So he did. A shy smile spread on your lips. You did love his playfulness, after all.

“Loki! Come here, come here, sit with me on the couch, are you excited? I am, I am, oh and you brought your pet! Hello there, little pet. Come on, let’s sit now.” The Grandmaster was fuming with enthusiasm when you entered a large VIP lounge. Loki was handed a glass of expensive wine upon your arrival and, much to your surprise, he offered it to you before taking the first sip.

No. Alcohol would make your brain even fuzzier than it already was. Your wit had to be crystal clear if you wanted to survive this evening.

Soon, the Grandmaster grabbed the God of Mischief and seated him on a long and white leather couch. The VIP lounge was located dozens of feet high up in the air, the large window protected by a transparent glass pane bragging with a marvellous view over the entire arena.

You were just about to kneel down on the floor and swallow your pride to not get him in trouble, when suddenly, Loki firmly wrapped his hand around your wrist and yanked you close until you came to sit on his lap. Your heart skipped several beats at once.

“What are you doing?” You hissed quietly—not that you were complaining. The sensation of his strong thigh on your backside and his arm around your hips felt like Valhalla.

“Keep up the act, little minx.”

His smooth voice instantly sent pleasant shivers up and down your spine.

“You will love this. Have you made your bet yet? Between the two of us, my champion _is_ invincible _._ You can make a lot of money if you trust my judgement.”

Loki laughed, yet you could tell it was fake and so unlike you had laughed together back in his apartment.

“I cannot wait to see him fight.” He responded politely, shifting nervously on his seat. He was struggling. Struggling with… what? Frowning, you opened your mouth to ask if he was okay when you were precipitously interrupted by a cheering crowd.

A broad man made of… stone? Yes. A stone man entered the arena. The fights were about to begin, leaving you no time to pry into Loki’s _bets_ with the Grandmaster.

 

“This is barbaric,” you murmured quietly. Three battles in, you watched a couple of scrappers dragging a bloody and half-dead body away from the arena, a red trail following after them. “Why would anyone enjoy this?”

Loki sighed. “He is a lunatic, I know. Just… pretend you are fascinated.”

Nodding, you bit your lower lip. The Grandmaster turned his head, his greedy eyes widening with curiosity. “What are you whispering about?”

The God of Mischief faked another content laugh. “Forgive me, she is… not used to spectacles like these, it flusters her being allowed to watch.” He explained rapidly, making you dig your nails into his left knee. His hand covered yours in an instant, stopping your attempted payback and making you suck in the cool air as his warm skin touched yours. His palm was soft, his long fingers intertwining with yours to remove your nails from his knee.

“Ah, yeah, I can imagine that!” The Grandmaster mused with a smug grin on his face. His blue make-up looked even more ridiculous today and you were beyond grateful Loki only settled for yellow accents on his clothing instead of painting his face with body paint as well.

“Well, I will be right back. We always take a short break before the final fight.”

Relieved, you watched the crazy old man getting up and leaving the VIP lounge, his yellow cloak flattering behind him. All of his guests made space for him to pass, making you shake your head in disbelief. Finally, you allowed yourself to slide off of Loki’s lap, still, however, kept so close to him your legs were touching.

“You think they have a bathroom here somewhere?”

The God of Mischief rolled his eyes. “Really, now? Can’t that wait?”

“Not exactly. I don’t have the bladder of a god, unfortunately.” You spared him from threatening you would actually piss on him if you didn’t find a toilet.

“Fine,” he spat. He wasn’t angry with you—that you would have known. Much more did you feel like a motherless little girl he had to babysit.

He never let go of your arm when you stepped into the hallway full of oddly dressed people. Scrappers were rushing through, accompanied by the gladiators who had been spared of tonight’s contest and, much to your dismay, new contenders they had snatched for a handful of coins.

Another lost soul caught and sold as a doll, his short hair wild and stubby. He moaned in pain when one of the scrappers buried his shoe in his stomach, the blue obedience disk, which you had learned were attached to all of the Grandmaster’s slaves, ready to stun him. Turning his head, his blue eyes roamed around defencelessly in the hopes of support, help or a way out.

The Grandmaster, appearing beside you both enthusiastically, clapped his hands. “Ah, Loki, look, there he is! If he proves to be as skilled as you promised, you will be greatly rewarded.”

Your hand flew up to cover your mouth when you recognised his face. It was Thor.


	13. Chapter 13

“Loki…” Panicking, you turned to him and grabbed his arm, frantically shaking it. “Loki, what is…”

The God of Mischief pressed his lips together tightly. His brother had not spotted him yet and Loki made no advances whatsoever to help him out of his risky misery.

“I doubt he can beat my beloved champion but if he does… I will double your bounty.” The Grandmaster continued with a satisfied grin.

 _What?_ Your lips parted in shock as you began to tremble. _Double his bounty?_

Snarling, the scrappers dragged Thor around the corner until he was out of sight. He was barely conscious now and without his hammer… you had seen men made of stone today. What if…? Your sorrow for him was different from your fear of losing Loki but still, you were worried Thor might not survive this.

What had gone wrong? How had he been caught? Had Loki… not supplied him with access codes after all? When he had winked at you… he hadn’t exactly told you a lie but…

“Loki, what is all of this?!” You winced, keeping your voice low to not raise the Grandmaster’s suspicion. He was still close, talking to his most faithful Topaz.

“The reward for his capture will set me up nicely,” he answered equally quiet. Forgotten was your urge to pee. Loki had betrayed his own brother, again. He might as well stab you in the chest.

“I have told him I would want to stay here on Sakaar. I have already risked my life once and for what? Hela is more powerful than ever. It is about time Thor too realises that Asgard is lost.”

“You told me you were going to help him! You _promised_ me you were gonna bring me home!” You yelled, your composure forgotten as hot tears worsened your sight and made you forget everything around you, the God of Mischief turning into a black dot before you.

“Shhh!” Loki hissed quietly.

“You lied to me.” You whispered, crying freely now. With a start, you remembered what he had told you the night you had asked him about his brother’s mission.

_“What changed your mind?”_

_“A very interesting conversation,”_ he had replied and you, naïve and _stupid,_ had believed he meant the conversation he had held with you, instead… instead he had been talking about his ridiculous chat with the Grandmaster.

“You are a fool if you thought I would not.” Loki said severely, his blue gaze never leaving yours. Sobbing, you wiped a few of your tears from your cheeks, noticing with dismay that your black make-up had smeared. You were a mess. A complete and utter mess. How could you have been so _blind_?

Why, it was almost funny! You knew what they all said about Loki, knew of all the warnings they whispered to each other and yet, you had blindly let your feelings get the better of you. Feelings that, and this was the worst part, paired with devastating disappointment, had not changed in the slightest.

You _still_ longed to be with this man, despite his betrayal. Despite the fact he had let you down. Knowing this caused even more salty tears to run down your cheeks and paint dirty streaks of black coal onto your skin.

“What about me?” You muttered breathlessly.

“I am sorry.”

Was he really? Sorry? Perhaps he was. _Be careful what you wish for_ , your mother always said. You had wanted to be with Loki… and now you were going to be stuck with him on a strange planet, enjoying the reputation of a mere and silly pleasure slave for the rest of your life.

“Take me back to your apartment,” you begged, facing the ground as you did. Meeting his blue eyes—his beautiful blue eyes—again right now… it would tear you apart. “I don’t want to stay here.”

Loki slightly shook his head. “We cannot leave now. I placed a large wager against Thor. The Grandmaster counts on my presence.”

“Then bring _me_ back and _enjoy_ the rest of this _ridiculous_ and _brutal_ _show alone_!” This time, the Grandmaster turned his head. Whether he had heard your exact words, you did not know but even if he did, Loki would talk his way out of it. He always did, after all. The famous silver tongue that deceived them all… including you.

“Your slave is raising her voice against you? Tsk,” Topaz shook her head in a disgusted manner. “Perhaps you didn’t train her as well as you thought you have.”

Loki gave her an embarrassed smile. “Maybe not,” he muttered under his breath. It was then you scoffed and kicked him in the shin, eliciting a silent grunt from him—your second mistake.

Tilting his head threateningly, he narrowed his blue eyes at you and then jerked you forward by wrapping his hand firmly around your upper arm. It hurt. You could already feel the bruises forming as he dragged you through the hallway, making sure the Grandmaster and Topaz saw how he treated you in response to your boldness. You didn’t blame him for it; they didn’t know the truth—to them, it had to seem like Loki was angry at you for your actions when in reality… you were angry with _his._

“You promised!” You bellowed as soon as he had closed the vast door forming the entrance to his apartment. “You promised you would get me home! Do you have any idea how homesick I am? What it means for me to be stranded here? I’m all alone, nobody understands me and all Thor cares about is overpowering that stupid goddess of death!”

“I know!” Loki yelled back, leaning forward slightly. You had never seen him this agitated. “I saw you crying the day we left for Helheim, (Y/N)!”

You wanted to strangle him. _I will make sure to keep an eye on you._ He thought you were desperate to get away from here. You were, of course… but Loki saw only half the picture. He was as blind as you. Blind enough to betray you.

“You promised.” You repeated, your voice shaking. “You promised me!!!”

Electricity shocks were rippling through your body, rational brain cells exploding and shattering to a million pieces—just like your heart. A desperate scream escaped your lips when you bolted forward, throwing wild and uncontrolled punches at him.

Breathing heavily, you clenched your fists, swinging at his chest repeatedly. Again, again, again and again until Loki snatched your wrists and forced you to _think_.

You traded your boiling wrath with fresh tears as fast as the numbing anger had come over you. Next thing you knew, your cheek collided with his body as you wrapped your arms around him, crying rivers against his muscly body.

Maybe he just couldn’t help himself? Maybe this was what he was? Constantly condemned to live up to his mischievous reputation? His arms around you were soothing. For a couple of minutes, you just stood there in silence as he stroked over your hair and held you tightly, comforting you.

His embrace was so calming. Just like the day you had woken up in his hug, you couldn’t believe this was the man who had brought death and destruction over New York—or the man who had sold his own brother as a gladiator.

What was happening to you? How could you forgive him? Were you… were you really in love? Loki had disappointed you and here you were, clinging onto him as if your life depended on it.

“You’re all I have left,” you sobbed out of breath, your own words scaring you shitless when you spoke them out loud and you realised… they were true. You _trusted_ Loki. “Don’t let me down.”

The God of Mischief sighed—surprised and taken aback by your vulnerable confession and for the first time in the history of humanity… he didn’t know what to say.

He settled for a simple, gentle “Go to sleep, little minx.”

“You’ll leave if I do.”

“I have to go back. But I promise I will join you later.” There it was again. _I promise._

Taking a deep breath, you fought the last of your tears and wiped your cheeks to dry them. “How can I believe you?”

You knew the answer of course. You couldn’t. You had to. You had no other choice.

“Have I not kept you safe?” Loki finally said. His dark voice was but a whisper, yet every single sound that escaped his lips cursed through your body like adrenaline. All you managed was a nod in response. He was caressing you with a tender gaze—his blue eyes sparkling—when you finally pulled away and started at the bed as calmly and composed as you could muster.

Loki watched until you had slid under the covers as if to make sure you did as you were told, then, with a final nod and one last, thoughtful look, he left the apartment.

* * *

The sleepless night announced itself by the clock striking midnight. Sighing sadly, you shifted on the soft mattress and buried yourself under the covers, missing Loki’s warmth next to you, his arms around your waist, keeping any harm away from you.

He still hadn’t returned, your twisted thoughts imagining him drinking, dancing and celebrating with a bunch of beautiful young women the Grandmaster paid to seduce him. _Real_ pleasure slaves that would _actually_ satisfy his… primal needs. Like a lightning bold, the image of Valkyrie kissing him returned to you and struck you like a painful slap in the face.

You’d much rather willingly become his whore if only it meant you would never have to see something like that ever again.

Another sigh escaped your lips as you turned to the other side to hug Loki’s pillow. It smelled like him—leather, firewood and molten metal—and if you closed your eyes tightly… you could imagine it was actually him.

It was then you heard a silent “psss”, followed by a creaking door. Loki? Was he back? Why would he… hiss?

“(Y/N)? Are you here?” Valkyrie breathed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there guys! You might have noticed that I have uploaded two chapters. When I uploaded Chapter 13 on Tumblr, I kind of forgot to also do so on Ao3, so you guys will be getting two now! Here we go! Sorry about that, enjoy! :-)

“What the hell are you doing here?“ Sleepily, you sat up and drowsily glared into the darkness around you before switching on the lamp on the nightstand. Greenish light filled the room.

“Thor got captured.” She stated dryly, crossing her strong arms before her chest. _You don’t say._ “They found us—him. They found him. Whatever you do, tell Loki _not_ to return to the plane wreck, they are still searching the area for more stowaways. I have no idea how they found us, they’re all usually very dull… something must have given us away. Or a routine inspection, what the hell do I know what orders Topaz yells around when the Grandmaster is not around.”

Willing to explain her you knew exactly how the scrappers had found him, you opened your mouth only to close it again the fraction of a second after. _Don’t betray him like he had,_ a soft voice whispered in your head, making you dizzy.

“Anyway, I’m gonna get him out of there.” She continued with an arrogant smile. “So as soon as you see Loki, tell him to meet me in the arena’s mainframe tomorrow at noon.”

Gasping for air, you grabbed the bedpost. This was ridiculous. Valkyrie was here to help Thor and there you were, struggling with yourself and downright refusing to tell her how the God of Thunder had ended up as a gladiator in the first place. Granted, the fact you hated the woman before you with a passion made it a lot easier, especially after how she had treated Loki. And now you were defending him yet again. You were getting a headache from this.

“Will you tell him?!” Valkyrie repeated impatiently. You simply nodded in response, watching with relief how she took her leave again. You had no idea how she had made it into the apartment in the first place but that you didn’t even want to know. As of now, you had much more difficult and complicated problems that you needed to attend to.

There were only two options. One, you let Valkyrie rescue Thor so he could save Asgard and get you home eventually or two, you could support your ridiculous feelings for Loki and tell him the Valkyrie had a plan, that she had broken into his apartment in the middle of the night, hoping for his help and accepting that you would never return home. _No._ There was a third option too. What if _Loki_ brought you back to Earth?

* * *

Thrashing, you opened your eyes, clawing at your attacker. There was someone covering your mouth to prevent you from screaming, their raven hair hanging into your face and their blue eyes… their blue eyes instantly ready to take you back to the place of your wildest dreams. _Loki._

“What do you think you are doing?!” You shrieked when he finally released you, placing your palm on your chest to feel your rapid heartbeat. “You scared me. Why don’t you just wake me up like mortal beings would?” It wasn’t a question, yet he answered with a smirk.

“Because I am not mortal… Get up now, little minx. It is time for your training.”

Training?! Millions of questions tumbled through your head like dominos when you rose from the bed, noticing with dismay you were wearing nothing but your underwear. It had been too inconvenient, sleeping with a dress, so you had taken it off.

“Training? What are you talking about?”

Loki raised his eyebrows. “I promised to teach you how to fight—and I will keep my promise.”

“Is this why you agreed to teach me in the first place? Because I knew that I would have to be able to handle myself when you betray your brother and cut off my only chance of getting away from this planet?”

The God of Mischief paused. For just a split second, a sad shimmer was visible in his beautiful blue eyes but it vanished when you blinked.

“I have told you why I did what I have done, (Y/N). Going back would be suicide. For Thor, for me and especially for you. Hela would crush you like an ant.”

If only… if only you knew… if he really liked you. Ignoring the flattering of your heart, you bit your lower lip and stood before him, uncaring of how you were barely dressed. Loki’s curious gaze drifted over your entire form for a moment before focusing on your face.

He _had_ kept you safe. He could have gotten rid of you, he could have had you killed or sold you as a pleasure slave to the Grandmaster… but he hadn’t. You were still incredibly thankful for everything he had done for you, still unconditionally in love with him but ever since yesterday… ever since yesterday you kept questioning every single one of his actions, every heartbeat and every little breath.

You didn’t understand it. Did you want to stay here with him? Yes. Did you want to go home? Yes. Did you want to trust Loki? Yes. Did you know it was absurd to do so? Yes. So why was it all so complicated?

“Loki, I just… I’m scared.”

“I told you I would not leave you here all by yourself.” Your heart skipped a beat, the butterflies in your stomach going crazy.

“It’s not that… I’m… I’m scared of you. I want to believe you, I want to _trust_ you, you have proven me that you _care_ , that you don’t… but… but how do I know you won’t just vanish one day? Or change your mind about me and sell me as well?” Tears welled up in your eyes, threatening to crush your windpipe. “And what’s even worse is that even though I want to go home, I…” Startled, you stopped yourself, stumbling over your own words. To Loki it seemed you were fighting hard not to cry when in reality it was keeping yourself from saying _I also want to be with you._

Loki never ceased to impress you. He pursed his lips slightly, then lifted his hand to cup your cheek. Lost in thought, his thumb traced the cut Valkyrie’s knife had caused. Gently. Softly. Your lips parted.

You didn’t want to focus on his lips but… they were distracting, inviting and suddenly, telling Loki, or, _not_ telling Loki about Valkyrie became all but insignificant. What you desired to do instead…

“You cannot trust me,” he suddenly said sternly, interrupting your erotic thoughts and dragging yourself back to reality, the problems at hand. “Never. But I always keep my promises, little minx.”

All you managed to do was nod in response, still numbed by his palm touching your face. His eyes were hypnotising, just like boarding a ship and then gaping down at the countless waves capturing you with their beauty.

“Valkyrie was in your apartment last night.” You suddenly heard yourself admitting. All of this—whatever _this_ was—had one giant catch. You _did_ trust Loki even if doing the exact opposite promised more chance of survival. “She is trying to break Thor out.” You continued.

With the God of Mischief this close… you weren’t even sure if you actually wanted to return to Earth in the first place anyway. No, of course you wanted to. Or you didn’t. You… you didn’t understand yourself. If you returned to Earth, you would never see this man—god—again. Would your love for him fade? Were you even allowed to call it love yet?

“Did she hurt you?” Taken aback, you felt your jaw drop.

“I-I, n-no, she didn’t. She… asked me to tell you to meet her. She… doesn’t know it was you who… you know.”

“When? And where?”

Finally, he let go of your cheek and instead wrapped his hands around your bare arms. A shiver went up and down your spine.

“Today, at noon, in the arena’s mainframe.”

“What is it she is planning?” Loki was being persistent, frantic even. It felt strange to see him like that.

“She didn’t say, Loki.” You tried soothingly. Only then did you realise that Thor had probably no idea it was his own brother who had turned him in and neither, so you knew, did Valkyrie. You were the only one.

“Loki… does Thor know that you betrayed him?”

The God of Mischief shook his head. “He might… suspect it. But he doesn’t know.”

“If he hopes that you will come to rescue him in vain, that’s even worse, Loki!”

“Is it?” The God of Mischief replied quietly, his blue eyes focusing on the back of your hand. You had started scratching it again. “The Grandmaster wishes to have breakfast with us. Get dressed, after we will continue your training.”

“Loki, I don’t have anything to wear.”

Smirking, he tilted his head before waving his hand, impressing you once more with a shimmer of green magic. Next thing you knew, you were wearing dark green pants complimenting your thighs and a comfortable bustier, both pieces of clothing decorated with black ribbons sewn into them. When you looked down, you spotted Loki’s symbol—his golden helmet—embroidered in the fabric.

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes, if anything because your lips parted in awe. The outfit was incredible.

“Thank you.”

Loki nodded.

“Then let’s go.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Heyho there my lovelies! A day later than promised (I simply forgot, I am so sorry), here is the new chapter! Enjoy reading, it will be going down soon… ;-)

Right after breakfast and a few really uncomfortable questions on the Grandmaster’s behalf, you were finally free to go again. Loki wasted no time in leading you out of the giant and colourful building unnoticed, returning to the plane wreck to train with you.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea for us to come here? I mean, the scrappers…”

“I have concealed us. None of them is going to even hear us.”

You had no idea how he managed to keep up _this_ much magic all the while focusing on not getting kicked by you but then again, you were hardly difficult to overwhelm.

Although Loki had been right—you did not make the same mistakes all over again. He was, naturally, still a lot smarter, stronger and faster than you but you improved. You improved so much that by the second half of your training, when the sun had almost reached its highest point in the grey sky, he handed you one of his daggers and commanded you to attack him.

Shrugging a little doubtful, you obeyed.

One, two, three steps and he had disarmed you again. Four, five, six steps and he had pressed you against the corpus of the plane and threatened to slice your throat with your own weapon.

He was dangerously close. Stunned, you could feel his hot and moist breath against your lips, his panting the only thing you were still able to hear. Your flustered gaze automatically wandered to his thin lips, tempted to touch them with your own.

“Let go of me…” You whispered, your voice barely audible as you struggled a little in a weak attempt to break free. In response, Loki shifted his entire body weight on you, making it impossible for you to escape.

Smirking mischievously, he tilted his head in a mocking manner.

“If you let your opponent force you into a corner, you have already lost. You cannot expect of _them_ to let go of you again either.”

“G-great, so what do I do?” You swallowed thickly, feeling each and every one of his muscles tensing against your barely covered skin. You were sweating again, the tips of your hair a little wet and your cheeks reddened from the effort. Compared to Valkyrie, not exactly attractive. If only you could move your arms to just wrap your arms around his neck, bury your fingers in his raven hair and kiss him until he dropped that stupid dagger to make love to you, right there on the ground—well, maybe at least on one of the old leather seats inside of the plane wreck…

“You may hope I shall be merciful, little minx.” He breathed, his smirk widening. What he did then scared you a lot more than the pointy blade of his dagger, for suddenly, he let go of your hip to brush a strand of your hair out of your face, his cool fingers gently grazing your cheek.

Your lips parted.

“It is almost noon.” He uttered quietly. Peeking briefly at the sun, you nodded. Valkyrie!

“What are you gonna do?”

Loki smirked.

“I will sabotage her ship and foil her little plan. That will buy us some time.”

“Time for what?”

“My brother will not give up until he has found a way out of here. Sooner or later, he will be back asking me for help.”

“And then you will do what?” You began, hopeful.

“You are asking too many questions, little minx. Keep training. I shall pick you up later.” And with that, he disappeared, the only evidence of his presence the invisible charm he kept above you to keep you safe. Something had happened. Something he had found out or gotten confronted with yesterday. Loki was restless—but you knew of course he wouldn’t share his concerns with you.

Picking up his dagger, you got into the position to throw. There wasn’t really much else to do anyway.

* * *

Sizzling through the air, the blade sliced through the thin piece of metal, making you nod triumphantly. Your hard work was finally showing some success—or maybe Loki was just a good teacher. It was probably the latter.

Your arm was hurting again by the time you took a short break and sat down on the ground, playing with Loki’s dagger in your hands.

He hadn’t answered your question and although you did not doubt he was going to do what he told you about foiling Valkyrie’s plans (your ego cheering at the thought), you kept wondering what his next move was going to be. There was no way he would finally speak up and tell you clearly whether he was going to bring you home or not—even if right now, you felt like your precious hope was shrinking.

Sighing, you examined the back of your hand. Still full of scratches from your very own nails, some of it freshly healed, others still bleeding a little when touched them.

What had that been just then? Him tucking a streak of your hair behind your ear like you were a cherished lover? The way his blue eyes had glanced at you… was it wrong to pretend he was into you too? Hell, you couldn’t even tell if he was annoyed by your presence, after all… but no. You had talked about this yesterday. Loki could have sold you to the Grandmaster as well, especially after learning he was _so_ fond of you. He hadn’t.

An indignant laugh mixed with an absurd scoff escaped your lips. You wanted to hug him again. It was true. You wanted to hug your God of Mischief and tell him it was alright, that you still loved him.

“I love you,” you whispered out loud, testing the words. You had never used them on a man before. Your parents, best friends and pets, yes but never a man. It felt… strange, unusual but if it did anything, it proved you one thing—it also felt _right._

Well… back to training. That way, you wouldn’t have to worry if it was too early to even think about those three words. A little clumsily, you rose from your sitting position and turned around, only to feel your heart sink to the very bottom of your body.

“Well, well, well… if it isn’t Loki’s precious little slave.”

Scrappers. The very same scrappers that had picked you up and dragged you to the Grandmaster last time. _Shit._

Clutching your dagger tighter, you recalled what Loki had taught you. _If you let your opponent force you into a corner, you have already lost._ _Keep your balance. Never give up on your weapon._

His smooth voice sounded like an echo in your head—only your body failed to react.

“Haven’t been too honest with us, now have you? Where’s your king now, huh?” One of them snarled.

What on Earth had happened to the concealment charm?

“If you even _think_ about touching me, Loki will _rip_ you apart.”

“Oh yeah? Not if I kill him first. Is it true what the Grandmaster says about you? That you know damn well how to give head? I’d like to put that to the test.”

Panic flooded your veins, numbing your senses even more. Where was the adrenaline when you needed it? There were three of them and you only had one dagger… even if you did manage to stab the one in the middle, the other two would lunge at you before you even had a chance to make a run for it.

_Loki, please, where are you?!_

Last time he had left, he had promised to keep an eye on you with magic. Was he watching you now, too? Was he already on his way to aid you? Did he _care_? What if he wanted to see if you heeded what he had taught you about fighting thus far? Was he mad?! You were far away from being ready to handle three scrappers all by yourself!

“Loki! Loki, help me! Loki!!!” You bellowed, your throat burning. Not once in your life had you needed the full capacity of your vocal chords this much. You screamed until you hoarsened, the scrappers, who were now slowly approaching you, grinning dirtily.

“Get behind me.” _My saviour._ Relieved, you let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding. Loki’s voice was right behind you.

Glaring at the scrappers threateningly, his heavy breathing intimidated not only them but also you when he pushed you behind his back for you to be shielded.

“You allowing her runs once in a while or what? You should be careful, others might take advantage of the opportunity.”

The daggers appeared in his hands the moment the first scrapper lunged at him. Loki’s fist hit him unprepared, the fraction of a second after, he had already rammed his dagger into his stomach, causing a bleeding wound as he fell to the ground with a painful moan.

The second scrapper attacking was smarter. Gnashing his teeth and hissing like a snake, he attempted to throw one of those obedience disks at Loki, who simply dodged it with the blade of his dagger. He threw it effortlessly and hit him right in the throat. He as well slumped to the ground, the blood drowning the dirty ground beneath him. Simultaneously, Loki plunged his other dagger into the last scrapper’s chest. He had barely fallen to the ground when he pounced on him, holding on to him for dear life. Loki simply kicked him off.

Your heart was beating like a steam hammer when the God of Mischief wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close, realising with horror on his face that you had started crying. When, you did not know, only that your tears were wetting your cheeks and staining Loki’s black leather armour, your ugly sobbing echoing through the air.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into the curtain of your hair, his grip tightening even more as a loud sigh escaped his lips. He was… apologising? For what? For leaving you here all alone? For getting you into this situation?

All you managed to do in response was pressing your face against his muscly chest and closing your eyes shut until your tears had dried and he gently pushed you an arm-length away from him. Compassion was glistening in his eyes and with it… with it what felt like _care._

“Let’s go.”

You followed him back to his apartment mutely, his hand never letting go of your wrist. Tenderly, he led you back into the Grandmaster’s house and through the endless hallways straight to his bedroom. Only when he had finally seated you on the bed, he mustered you in a scrutinising manner and spoke again.

“Did they harm you?”

He didn’t believe you the first time you shook your head.

“I promise. Loki, I’m okay, I’m just… it’s the shock, I guess. I’m not exactly used to life-threatening situations every now and then.”

The God of Mischief smiled. “You will get used to them rather quickly. Rest a little. I will be back shortly.”

He was going to leave you alone again? No! Panic flooded your veins along with stinging fear clawing at your guts.

“Please, no… don’t go. Loki, please, don’t leave me alone now.  Lie with me? Please?” It was the first time you acted on your feelings—towards him, that was and if he realised what your actions built on, he did not let on. Instead, he sighed once more, his lips pressed together to a thin line.

After what felt like a full minute, he finally moved and relaxed on the mattress, allowed you to cuddle up against him on the bed. Whether it was an instinct for you to seek his closeness? His presence was soothing you. You needed to know.

“Loki? Will you answer me one question? Will you bring me home?”

The God of Mischief sighed.

“I will.” And you believed him.

This man was no monster. If anything, Loki possessed a broken heart he barely ever showed. But he had to you and you were so honoured you felt new tears welling up in your eyes and worsening your sight as you hugged him tightly and attempted to calm your heart beat.

Silence spread in the room and for the first time, you considered telling him about your feelings.

“Loki… I…”

It was the Grandmaster’s voice that foiled your plan.

“Loyal Sakaarians, Lord of Thunder has stolen my ship and my favourite champion. Sakaarians, take to the skies. Bring him down. Do not let him leave this planet!”

Loki growled. “For Valhalla’s sake, _Thor…_ ”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there, my lovelies! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Here’s the new chapter, enjoy! ♥

“What’s happening?” Loki shot up from the bed, with you almost falling out of it in the process. Grumbling, you got on your feet as well, crossing your arms as a sudden chill washed over your body like an ice cold wind.

“You heard the Grandmaster. Thor has escaped.”

“That was… quick? I thought you stopped Valkyrie!”

The God of Mischief glared at you, angered as he tilted his head. “That is what I have thought too. That stupid oaf is going to get himself killed.”

He cared. He cared after all. Biting your lower lip unsure of what to do, you relinquished saying another word as Loki started pacing up and down the colourfully furnished room.

“Where did he even get the access codes from?”

“From me. He was never supposed to make it this far.”

You frowned. “Then why didn’t you just give him false codes?”

Loki glared at you. He was impressed.

“I will go talk to the Grandmaster.” He decided sternly, stopping dead in his tracks. “I was the one who sold Thor as a champion, if I don’t go sweet-talking him now, he will blame me. The last thing we need right now is running out of favour with him.” _We._

You opened your mouth and took a deep breath. Words never came. He was right. If the Grandmaster punished Loki for causing him this much trouble, things would not end well.

“I need to take care of this right now. Come on.”

Your eyes widened. “What?”

“The Grandmaster has taken a considerable liking into you. You need to come with me, it will be easier for me to persuade him if you are present to bat your eyelashes at him.”

Several seconds passed until you were done blinking blankly at him, your face distorting in a disgusted manner. Joining him at the Grandmaster’s side meant another gracious portion of humiliation. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to tell Loki you were in love with him, after all.

The Grandmaster was _furious._ Upset, to say the least. Harshly, he gave Loki a long harangue before deciding he would let him speak up as well.

“Grandmaster, I cannot phrase with words how terribly sorry I am about this incident. If you gave me twenty-four hours, I could bring them both back to you alive.”

“Alone? Loki!” The Grandmaster began tauntingly. “Sakaar is big. But! Loki, Loki, Loki…” The Grandmaster pointed his finger at him. “You can redeem yourself. I like you—and I pardon you.” Pausing, he gave him a seductive look.

“I want her.” He said, turning to you and making you stop breathing altogether. This was it. Now he would sell you as well to save himself. Fighting back your tears, you attempted to calm your rapidly beating heart as panic flooded your veins. “Lend her to me. One orgy is all it will take for my girls to—“

“Absolutely not,” Loki interrupted, staring at him sternly. Your eyes widened. He sounded _intimidating._ Nervously, you began scratching your hand. He noticed the movement out of the corners of his eyes and when he grabbed your wrist to make you stop, you glanced up in surprise and awe.

“I have told you before, Grandmaster, that I can offer you your weight in gold—Asgard has uncountable treasures. This girl, however, is mine. I believe to have told you that I do not share.”

“That _is_ a pity…” The Grandmaster pouted, nodding his head approvingly. “Loki, Loki… do you really want the main actor of a public execution? I would consider—”

“Grandmaster—“

“Hey, hey, don’t interrupt me! Loki, I will not—“

But he was interrupted yet again when suddenly, the entire wall broke down, debris and pieces of rock flying through the air. Flinching with a scream, you jumped to your right only to bump right into Loki, clinging onto him as if he was a piece of floating wood in the sea.

There was a _ship_ in the giant hall you all stood in, the guards going wild, drawing their guns and shooting aimlessly at the metal in the hopes of hitting the culprits.

“Oops, sorry!” Thor screamed.

Loki rolled his eyes. He was all but unaffected, yet also not surprised. “Out of the two of us, he has never been the better pilot, let me tell you this.” He murmured. It was then the Thunderer spotted his brother lurking in front of the Grandmaster’s wrath.

“Loki! Over here! Loki!” With but a few blows, he knocked out the guards approaching and trying to overpower him and was quickly followed by Valkyrie. She was all but delighted to see Loki seemingly joining their risky mission, after all, but she did not protest when the God of Mischief shot you a warning glare and then lifted you off the ground to help you climb on the spaceship. A yellow and red beast, its insides utterly empty.

What the…? And what now? Would he stay behind? The Grandmaster would _kill_ him—he was already screaming bloody murder. He couldn’t possibly…

“Loki!” You yelled, your expression so anxious Thor frowned at you in confusion.

You felt relief washing over your body when Loki jumped on the spaceship as well, abandoning the Grandmaster, his creepy public execution thoughts and this spooky planet—right towards the Devil’s anus and to Asgard, a realm you had only admiringly read of in books.

Just now, he had made a choice. He was going to help, he was going to join Thor. Loki wasn’t evil. _Never._ The way he had looked at you before lifting you onto the spaceship… so _hopeful._ Was it dangerous to believe it?

Panting, you leaned against the metal wall, clutching your chest as if you feared a heart attack. If anything, it was a _panic_ attack rising in your body and teasing you relentlessly but before you could even reach for your hand and scratch your wounds open yet again, Loki started at Thor like an angry berserker.

“What do you think are you doing here?”

“Escaping!” The God of Thunder screamed, amusement present on his face.

“The Grandmaster possesses at least two dozen battleships, all of them flown by even twice as much guards and soldiers! They will catch us, or even worse, shoot us out of the sky before we can even make it out of the city!” Loki was furious—no, he was… actually _flustered_.

“Nope, they won’t. They’ll be busy. I kind of started a revolution on my way out.” Thor responded, avoiding a few gunshots. The sudden movement of the ship had you crash into Loki once more.

The God of Mischief rolled his eyes—not at you, however. When he noticed you holding on to him, he simply wrapped an arm around your waist to keep you steady. Your heart was beating even faster now.

“And now what? You will march into Asgard and ask Hela for ceasefire?”

“By the time we’re done with her, she will be the one asking for ceasefire, I can promise you that.” Frowning, you turned your head. This voice was new. It belonged to a middle-aged man, a scientist, you knew. This was Bruce Banner—the _Hulk_ and one of the Avengers! How on Earth had he ended up on Sakaar?

“So,” he continued, glaring daggers at Loki. “Last time I saw you, you were trying to kill everybody. Where’re you at these days?”

“It varies from moment to moment.” He growled, his dark and threatening voice sending shivers up and down your spine.

Was this why Loki had been so uneasy after returning from the contest of champions? You remembered hearing on the news the Hulk had beaten him up after his unsuccessful New York invasion. It all made sense now.

“Thor told me about you, you must be (Y/N)?” Bruce asked then, offering his hand. You took it with a smile, nodding in the process. This was crazy. Only a few weeks ago you had never thought you’d even meet _one_ Avenger and now two of them knew your name already.

“How exactly did you get here?”

“It’s a long story, really. There were some, um, complications.” If anything, he sounded a lot more insecure than you had initially assumed he would be but when he shot Valkyrie a secret glance, you realised with a start she did not know he occasionally turned into a giant green monster. _It’s alright. I can shut up._

“’A few complications’ is a nice way to put it. Stealing the ships would have been a lot easier if you hadn’t gotten caught.” Valkyrie snarled, not quite angry but still annoyed. “How _did_ they find you anyway? Those scrappers are usually as thick as bread.”

“Maybe because of the stolen ships the Grandmaster commanded for the area to be searched for more stowaways,” you tossed in, shrugging lightly in the process.

Loki gave you a startled look, his expression clueless. What was this supposed to be? You were vouching for Loki. It almost scared you how right it felt. Your own safety must be the only reason for you to do it. Any other option would be plain ridiculous… right? You could practically _feel_ the trouble inside of him, that painstaking unease of not being able to wrap his finger around something. You resisted the urge to reach for his hand. Only Banner noticed the twitch of your hand towards him.

“Now?” Loki began then. “Are you going to tell me how you managed to escape?”

“I told you, I started a revolution. The gladiators I was locked in with are on the way to the ship hangar right now. They should be—look, there they are!”

There was another spaceship zooming right past you, big, black and a lot more impressive than the orange monstrosity you were in and distracting a few of the Grandmaster’s forces.

“They are not heading for the Devil’s Anus.”

“No, they’re not, they’re heading for freedom.”

“Thor, we might need them.” Loki said. His expression said it all—he was cursing his brother for not planning this heroic escape more precisely.

Valkyrie raised her eyebrows. “For what?”

“Do you truly think Hela will be facing us alone?”

“She has an army,” Thor added, nodding approvingly. “Loki is right.”

“So what do we do?”

The God of Mischief smiled cheekily. “I have a plan.” _A plan._ Loki’s plans were usually risky. Where did this sudden urge to help Thor come from? Was he feeling regret for selling him?

“Don’t take too long brother.”

“You’re going to leave?” You chirped.

“You stay here,” he started, adding a warning glare to his tone. When you still took a step forward, Loki took a deep breath. “Do not tempt me, little minx.”

_But will you come back?_ You didn’t dare to ask. Instead, you simply nodded bravely and formed the words with your eyes.

“Be careful.”

The God of Mischief nodded, handing you one of his shiny daggers with a warning glare. Then, with a green shimmering light and a reckless jump right out of the spaceship, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodybe, Sakaar! Shit is about to go down, what do you think?


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Heyho there my lovelies! I’m glad you’re still all here and enjoying this story as much as I am! Enjoy the new chapter! ♥

It felt good to have another human around. Banner might be a mutation at some point but at least, he was from Earth as well.

You were cowering in a corner, talking to Bruce all the while Thor and Valkyrie steered the ship right towards Asgard. Your fingers never ceased to play with the dagger Loki had given you to protect yourself. It posed a great distraction to not scratch the back of your hand either. He knew about that too, so you figured.

“So… how did you end up here?”

“I’m not exactly sure. I just… woke up and suddenly there’s Thor telling me I’ve been the Hulk for two years, working as a gladiator for that lunatic.”

Nodding, you faced the ground. It must be terrible, your mind being compressed like that.

“What about you?”

“One of my best friends was killed when Hela attacked Thor and Loki on Earth. I kind of… got dragged into all of it and now… I’m just trying to survive this, I guess.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.”

Silence spread and for a while, only the roaring sounds of the space ship were audible, hovering in the air loudly.

“So, you and Loki, huh?” Banner suddenly said then. “How did this happen?”

“Excuse me?”

“You and Loki? Madly in love?” What? How would he even know?

“I-I’m… I’m not…” You stuttered.

“I saw the way you looked at him before he left. (Y/N), I have seven PhDs, I think I can tell when someone has feelings for another.”

Your eyes widened in pure horror.

“Don’t you dare tell anyone. Please. It’s bad as is.”

“Quite right you are. Loki is a criminal.”

“He’s a lot more than you concede to him.” You spat, a wave of anger washing over you.

Banner only snorted. “Does anyone else know?”

Frowning, you leaned back. “Of course not. Loki himself doesn’t know. I tried to tell him, once… but it’s probably a bad idea. I mean, I’m just me.”

Banner shot you an unbelieving look.

“Will you… will you tell Thor?”

“No,” Bruce reassured gently, shaking his head in the process. “I can keep a secret.”

“Thank you.”

Once more, silence spread between the two of you, with you hugging your knees and wondering if Loki was alright. Your heart skipped a beat when Thor spoke up.

“Guys… we’re here.”

Both Bruce and you jumped up, filled with both excitement and nervousness. The vast view of the planet before you, with the gushing waterfalls, the sparkling rainbow bridge and the golden palace towering high up into the sky… it was simply breath-taking and this… this was the place Loki had grown up in? It would be beyond wonderful—if it weren’t for that evil witch attempting to take over the entire universe.

“What’s the plan?”

“Here, up in the mountains,” Valkyrie began, pointing at the console screen with a frown. “Heat signatures. People clustered together.”

“Asgardians?” You asked.

She nodded. “Hela’s coming for them.”

“Okay, drop me off at the palace and I’ll draw her away.” Your eyes widened. If Thor was going to face her alone, he might as well stab himself. For the first time, Valkyrie agreed with you.

“And get yourself killed?”

The Thunderer shook his head, his lips pursed tightly.

“The people trapped down there are all that matters. While I’m dealing with Hela, I need you two to help get everyone off Asgard. (Y/N), you stay with Valkyrie.” His flustered gaze wandered over to Loki’s dagger in your hands. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Nodding, you took a step back. Well, what else were you supposed to do? Flailing around defencelessly would hardly help the God of Thunder succeed and instead have you get killed yourself.

“Hang on, what do you mean, get everyone off Asgard? How the hell are we supposed to do that?” Bruce threw in agitatedly.

“Wait for Loki.” Thor answered severely. Breathing out slowly, you briefly closed your eyes. If only he knew Loki had been the one who to betray him in the first place. You were praying the God of Mischief would actually come back. It was a silly hope, really but if it wasn’t for his own brother, then maybe it was for you.

Valkyrie’s face distorted in a disgusted manner. “And then what?”

“If Odin could imprison Hela, then we can too.” Thor roared enthusiastically. He was right. They had Loki’s magic but… Hela was very powerful as well, you had seen her killing Susan. Gulping, forced the bloody image from your mind.

You watched them providing the spaceship with a proper weapon, witnessed mutely how Thor disappeared and asked for Valkyrie and Bruce to meet him on the bridge and then, how you took off again, hovering right above the Rainbow Bridge. A dark skinned man with orange glowing eyes led a vast group of people towards the Bifrost, determination plastered on his face. Was this Heimdall? The man who could see anything? _He_ would know if Loki was fine. The urge to rush down and ask him grew, yet your rational thinking stopped you. _Don’t be ridiculous._

You had no idea where Thor was. He had disappeared into the palace and now, faint battle cries were audible, sizzling through the air like poisonous gas.

Then you saw it. The giant wolf breathing heavily and cowering on the ground, ready to pounce. Saliva was dripping from his agape mouth, his growling loud enough to reach you safe up on the spaceship. You had considered the scrappers on Sakaar to be a danger but this… another panic attack fought to break free.

You had managed to go without them for so long but now, Loki was gone. No one was there to promise to keep you safe, no one was there to hug you. You threw a quick glance at Valkyrie. Absolutely not, you’d rather die than to tell her you were about to faint on her—especially when you first saw the numerous army Thor had spoken of. They were… dead. Skeletons, with green glowing holes for eyes and animalistic growling sounds instead of a human voice. Trembling, you stumbled back and sank down against the wall of the spaceship and while Valkyrie was still busy shooting at the giant wolf, Bruce shouted something at her and then… jumped. A scream escaped your lips but when you heard the Hulk yell and roar, you quickly calmed again.

“(Y/N), are you okay? We need to go down now.” Sneering, you nodded. That was by far the nicest thing she had ever said to you. Still, you said nothing when she stirred the spaceship towards the ground and finally landed it on the Rainbow Bridge.

Valkyrie instantly jumped off with her sword in hand, the fireworks going off again with the impact of her rather clumsy landing. And just like that, you were all alone, hiding behind the corner and glaring outside with your heart pounding like a steam hammer.

Heaven, what was happening here? Undead corpses, wolves straight from mythology, an evil goddess of death… how would _anyone_ stand a chance to escape? Without—

You flinched when a strong wind ripped through your hair, accompanied by the ear-piercing rumbling of another spaceship—on it the gladiators Thor had helped to escape.

There was a man standing proudly at the entrance. His arms spread like those of a merciful angel.

“Your saviour is here!”

Just like that, his voice took a load off your mind. Your heart skipped a beat when you climbed off the spaceship and ran towards him as the Ark neared the bridge and allowed the God of Mischief to step out. He was wearing his helmet. His golden horned helmet that made you bite your lower lip—he looked incredibly handsome and… he had changed his armour too. Accented with green fabric, he had gone back to his typical colours. His cape fluttered behind him when he moved through the panicking crowd.

“Did you miss me?” _Yes. Yes, so much._ “Everybody, on that ship now!” He commanded sternly. You used your chance, wrestling your way through relieved Asgardians until you managed to reach for his hand.

Loki turned, alarmed, yet his expression softened when his blue gaze fell on you. You barely noticed Heimdall watching you holding hands for a moment that lasted way too long for him to consider you as just friends.

“Welcome home,” Heimdall started, nodding in his direction. “I saw you coming.”

“Of course you did.” Loki pursed his lips.

“Get on the ship and stay there until I come for you.” He whispered softly then. For a second it almost looked like he was going to cup your cheek again but he pulled away.

“But—“

“ _Get on the ship_ , (Y/N).”

You gasped when he drew his daggers and ran straight towards the skeletons.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! 12 days left until we get to see Infinity War. Who’s gonna die with me?

Hidden in between two Asgardian teens, you flipped Loki’s dagger in your hand and kept peeking outside. He was gracious. You had seen him fight before but _this_ … this was beyond impressive and although you knew Loki was closer to being invincible than anyone else could be in a battle, you feared for his life, flinching and jerking on the spot every single time he barely managed to dodge a deadly blow. One of the teens threw you a compassionate look.

You could hide here on this spaceship like a coward and have another panic attack… or you could go out there, make use of what Loki had taught you and _fight_ with him.

Would that be wise? Would you be able to jump over your own shadow and defeat that little monster inside you, the one tossing you into numbing panic attacks? You couldn’t rely on Loki to protect you while he was busy saving his own arse. Those skeletons were merciless, yet the longer you watched the God of Mischief fight for his home planet, the more your own bravery grew.

Unceremoniously, you scattered away from your hiding spot. The Ark had not taken off yet, there were still people climbing on board. This was your chance. You slid off the ramp rather clumsily, your knee colliding with the hard ground. The Rainbow Bridge underneath your feet sparkled with the impact but there was no time to admire its beauty. Loki was only a few feet away, busy fighting off two skeletons at the very same time. There was another one behind him, growling angrily at him for killing its mates.

Focusing, you got in position. _You can do this. Remember what Loki told you._ When you threw the dagger, it sliced through the air like a samurai sword. Practising had paid off—the already dead soldier fell to the ground, his weapons falling to his feet with a loud clatter.

Loki turned on his heel. His reproachful look was both intimidating and arousing when he spotted you standing there only a few feet away from him.

“Did I not tell you to stay on the ship?!” He bellowed, hissing like a snake as he did.

“You did. Thank me later for saving your life.”

Loki rolled his eyes before boring his dagger into another skeleton. But then, with a start, he began to smirk and shake his head, causing electricity to curse through your veins and fill you with enough adrenaline to dodge one of Hela’s soldiers yourself and kick him in the guts. Loki’s teaching had paid off, after all.

“Look at you, little minx. You were but a terrified kitten when I first met you. Now you are a _lioness_.”

You were giggling. Giggling like a little school girl! Had Loki just complimented you? _A lioness._ He had called you a lioness. Biting your lower lip, you opened your mouth to reply, when suddenly, his face fell, startling you to the core.

He shot forward before you were able to react, his body forcing yours to the ground. You fell to the ground hard, the sparkling rainbow bridge beneath you almost cracking with the impact when you heard dozens of rocks tumbling to the very spot you had been standing in—Hela had driven swords into the Ark. Giant, massive blades which had torn them up in the water.

Gasping, you sought out his gaze. Now you were even _._

He was hovering above you, his whole body covering yours. Running his fingers through your hair, his blue eyes locked with yours.

“T-thank you…” You breathed. Only mere inches separated his lips from yours, the whole world around you stopping. The noise of battle, explosion, weapons and devastated citizens melted to a dull background sound.

_Kiss me, oh please… kiss me._

It was like he was bewitched, unable to draw away from you. Loki’s lips grazed yours in a desperate attempt to taste you, both of you captured in this bubble of emotions neither of you properly comprehended.

_Kiss me… just kiss me!_

Instead, another skeleton almost impaled him. “Loki, watch out!”

Breathing out loudly, he rolled you both over, missing the spear by only a foot.

“Get on the ship _now_!” He ordered again as he helped you back on your feet. Only this time you would listen. The Ark was attempting to take off, your magical moment was over and had cruelly been ripped from you.

Reality was slapping you in the face and awakening the adrenaline in your body once more. If you did not make it on the ship… you might not make it at all.

“Loki!” Pausing, he looked at you. “Be careful.” He nodded—then, he was gone again.

One of the Asgardians gladly helped you on board right before the pilot managed to free it from Hela’s swords to keep it from leaving.

Hopefully, Loki and the others would make it in time too.

Your fingers, absentmindedly, travelled to your lips to where Loki had touched them with his. He had _wanted_ to kiss you. You had read it in his eyes—although he had not quite understood it himself, so it seemed, almost as if he did not comprehend his feelings for you. Did he _have_ feelings for you? Or had it been the heat of the moment? Why was all of this so complicated?

You never noticed how your breathing grow heavier with every moment passing, not that an elder man lightly touched your shoulder to ask if you were alright—only that at some point, everything around you blackened.

* * *

When you woke up again, you felt a warm blanket wrapped around you tightly. Faint voices around you were talking to each other quietly, some of them relieved, others devastated and some tragically sad. Tediously, you opened your eyes to face a grey ceiling—the Ark! You were still on the spaceship. Had you had a panic attack, again? You cursed when you tried to stand. It took your body a while to regain its balance.

“You’re awake. Please, drink some water.” An elder woman with braids in her brown hair approached you with a sly smile, handing you a cup filled with water. You took it sheepishly, your fingers shaking a little in the process. Only now did you realise your hand was bandaged. She had to be a healer, presumably took care of the open wounds on the back of your hand. When you reached up to feel the cut on your cheek, there was nothing there either.

“What happened?” You creaked, your throat terribly dry. Quickly, you took a few sips, enjoying with relish how the cold water felt on your tongue.

“You fainted—all of this…” She motioned around her. “…it is much, I understand. I took care of your injuries. You are (Y/N), are you not? The human girl, you were with the princes.”

Nodding absentmindedly, you blushed, embarrassed by your ridiculous reaction. Panic attacks were one thing, you couldn’t exactly help them… but fainting like a little princess?

“At least we are safe. This is all that matters.”

_Loki._ Where was Loki? With your heart in your mouth, you thanked the healer for patching you up and then hurried out of the room back to the other Asgardians, ignoring her protest. You spotted the Hulk and Valkyrie among them, yet Thor or Loki were nowhere to be found.

“Valkyrie!” The dark-haired woman turned, her face darkening upon seeing you moving clumsily through the crowd. “Have you seen Thor? Is L—“

“East wing,” she interrupted you with a fake smile. Rolling your eyes, you disappeared again. Yes, you still hated that bitch.

Finding the east wing proved to be a lot harder than assumed though—where was east anyway? You were in bloody space!

When you finally reached a slim hallway with several metal doors leading to what you assumed to be bedrooms and en-suites, you tried the one that was open already, a small beam of light shining onto the metal floor.

“Thor?”

“(Y/N)!” Smiling weakly, the God of Thunder turned. He was wearing an eye patch.

“Your eye…?”

He simply shrugged it off. “It’s alright. How are you?”

“Thor… where is Loki?”

“He was in the vault when Surtur… I don’t know, (Y/N).”

When Surtur _what_? Who was Surtur? What had he done? _I don’t know._ Was he not on the ship?! Panic stroke your body like a tidal wave, your heart instantly speeding up to compete with a steam hammer.

“Tell me what happened. I blacked out, I… last thing I remember is that we took off and then… nothing.”

The Thunderer’s expression darkened. Resigned, he faced the metal ground when he spoke up again.

“Asgard was destroyed. We caused Ragnarok to stop Hela…”

“What happened to her? Is she…?”

“She is dead. Loki went to resurrect Surtur by putting his crown into the Eternal Flame, which Odin kept in the treasure vault…”

“And then?!” You shrieked. Thor frowned. You didn’t even care about him finding out about your true feelings for him, not right now, not anymore.

“He might have still been on the planet when it exploded.” There was something else he wanted to say but didn’t—probably only to spare you.

_I don’t even know if he is still alive…_

Shattered, you lost your balance once more. You leaned against the metal wall to keep yourself standing upright, fighting to keep your lower lip still all the while listening to your rapid panting.

“W-where is he?” Thor fell silent.

“I’m here.” Your heart jumped when you heard another, smooth and cheeky voice right behind you. Turning on your heel, you breathed out audibly before starting at him and throwing yourself straight into his arms. Loki smiled, you could feel his lips curling upwards against your neck when he wrapped you in a tight hug and buried his face in your hair for a while. Thor only stood there, amazed and flabbergasted by the odd image before his eye.

Loki still held you in his arms when he looked up to meet his curious gaze. “It suits you.” He said, referring to his eye patch.

“Perhaps you’re not so bad after all, brother.”

“Maybe not,” he gave back, smirking wickedly in the process.

“Thank you. You know, I might even give you a hug too.”

Loki’s smirk grew wider, playfully. “I’ll pass.”

Finally, you let go of the God of Mischief but still held on to him by placing your palm against his chest. You had grown to love the feeling of his leather armour underneath your hands so much, a relieved sigh escaped your lips.

“Thor told me Asgard was destroyed,” you murmured barely audible. “I’m so sorry.”

You could feel his arm around your waist, keeping you close and safe. It hit you once more— _he’s alive. You were both alive. You had both made it out of this hell. It was over. Finally._

“How did you make it off the planet?” Thor continued then.

Loki’s smirk widened. “Some mysteries shall remain unsolved, brother.”

A childish giggle escaped your lips, your whole body filling up with happiness hormones. “Where are we going now?”

“You will be delighted, little minx. Valkyrie just kindly let me know that we are going back to Earth.”

Your heart jumped once more. _He had kept his promise._ “Norway, to be precise—the very place Odin died. Our people will settle on the fjord, there will be much to do.” He explained calmly. “Besides, Thor has to prepare for a coronation, am I right, brother?” The slight bitterness in his voice did not go unnoticed. Crestfallen, you remembered what he had told you all those nights ago in the battered plane wreck on Sakaar—how much he himself longed to be king.

Thor’s next words, however, surprised you. “There will not be one.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Frowning, your gaze wandered back to him. The Thunderer paused, his lips parting. For a while, he said nothing, only his desperate sighing filling the quiet room and somehow drowning out the deafening roaring of the engines of the spaceship.

When he finally opened his mouth again, both Loki’s and your heart seemed to stop altogether.

“I want you to keep the throne, Loki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WElCOME TO POST-RAGNAROK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! While I’m suffering from post concert depression, enjoy a new chapter! ♥

Norway was wonderful. A paradise compared to all the horrors you had been confronted with on Sakaar and most importantly, you were back on Earth. From now on, so you knew, you would appreciate this planet a lot more than in the past.

A few days had passed since your arrival, with both Thor and Loki being busy setting up an entire village for their people to live in. You hadn’t seen much of him lately and although you did not expect him to spend any more time with you, the thought of sleeping alone again, in the darkness of a tent, saddened you. On Sakaar, you hadn’t had much of a chance to stay away from each other—if anything, it had been Loki’s choice to keep you around and of course, keep you safe and alive. That didn’t automatically mean that you had formed a friendship during that time, let alone a relationship. Even though for you… for you it was the case.

You had come to one conclusion—not telling Loki you were in love with him had been the right decision, this one time in which Thor had so rudely interrupted you by escaping the Grandmaster’s clutches a cruel sign. What if he had told you that you were being delusional? That you only imagined things because of your somewhat forced proximity on Sakaar? Here, reunited with Asgard’s people, he was surrounded with beautiful, immortal women—a lot of which never missed an opportunity to bat their eyelashes at him, knowing that as the king, he would sooner or later choose a queen.

But then again there was your almost-kiss. His lips brushing against yours ever so slightly you sometimes at night still wondered if you had imagined him touching you in the first place.

You sighed. Loki had been able to save only a couple of books from Asgard—heavens knew how he had managed that. He stashed them all in a separate tent, some kind of provisory library in which you now spent most of your time. It was the only way to occupy yourself, really. Bruce helped Thor where he could and since you still didn’t have a phone or anything alike, you couldn’t even contact your family and friends.

Susan’s funeral… you had missed it for sure. Did your parents even believe you were still alive? Or had they given up on you already and bought a tombstone for you?

Sighing, you rubbed your eyes, your lids growing heavier with every second that passed. It was not new you fell asleep in Loki’s provisory library. It was a peaceful place, calm and quiet, being surrounded by books and ancient knowledge. So you didn’t even fight it when you drifted off, the book you were reading falling into your lap. You were grateful you were able to sleep at all—if anything, because in this tent, it felt like Loki was right with you.

* * *

Council meetings were the boring part of ruling a kingdom, even if its home planet had been destroyed. Loki had spent hours on end talking to the einherjer and ambassadors from other realms who lived among the Aesir to form new allegiances for his ruling. He had decided it was best if Thor took care of war-driven decisions like this. All he did was approving or, if he didn’t like the choices he made, declining and scolding him to come up with a cleverer idea. There had to be some advantage of finally being superior to his older brother, the rightful heir of the throne, after all.

He loved every second of being king. The freedom that came with it, the respect and the recognition he received not disguised as Odin but as himself, filled him with delight and joy; and as soon as everything formal and political was taken care of, he would finally retreat to his new library with some good ale and juicy grapes and read in peace—besides, so he knew, (Y/N) would be hiding there too, snuggled up on a pile of pillows in between crammed shelves. He could not quite explain it but he had come to enjoy your presence and company. The urge to protect you was so strong it practically tore at his heart, the thought of anyone harming you causing him physical pain. He realised he had started caring for you during all of this time on Sakaar and maybe… maybe there was even more than that.

Oh, scratch maybe. He had known the minute he had pulled you on his lap during the contest of champions. Your curves rubbing just against the right spots, your soft body curled up in bed right next to him, clutching at him like a helpless little kitten, drowning in the sea… so many of your actions had proved him you indeed trusted him with your life. And then, there was your feistiness, your temperament. You were quite the talented fighter, this much he had learned when training you, although he himself had not been able to figure out why he had continued keeping up the act after Thor’s capture. At first, he had done it to not raise any suspicion—his meetings with the Grandmaster, after all, were all but occasional. Then, however, knowing you could handle yourself with one of his daggers, somewhat calmed him. All those countless times he had saved your life… for Valhalla’s sake, he had almost _kissed_ you. He had been so tempted… and in every single free minute, he somehow wished to finally finish what he had started on the battlefield.

For a mortal, you were incredibly strong. A strong and independent woman. There were your panic attacks, of course—your mind and body overwhelming your will under the circumstances Hela had tossed you in, it had nothing to do with weakness. You had dealt with so many catastrophes, put up with so much tragedy he admired you. Now, the Avengers, whom he had fought, after all, were used to death and war. You, on the other hand, were a young journalist ripped from her normal life only to spend it, constantly afraid, with the God of Mischief.

Not once had he imagined to put to the test just _how_ strong you were. That day when he had caught you stepping out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel, to rip it off your body, tie you to the bed and have his way with you until you begged him to stop—until he had coaxed so many orgasms from you, you would become a trembling and soaking mess, ready for him to sink his rock-hard member into your wet warmth and own you the way he claimed he did when he met the Grandmaster.

This was a whim, it must be. He hadn’t had sex in so long, he was starving—after all, even a god was only a man with needs. He would soon accept the services of young Asgardian concubines if he ceased to concentrate on the royal problems on hand any longer. He would soon bring you and Bruce away from here anywhere. This was no place to live for two mortals, among Asgardians when they both had a life somewhere else. He didn’t care about Banner, really, but the delightful and hopeful glistening in your eyes when he had promised you to get you back home safely had been but a thrill he, for some unknown reason, wanted to experience again.

A sigh escaped his lips. Soon, he would not have to bother with these confusing feelings any longer anyway.

“Loki, think of what father said. Asgard’s people are scared. They know about your true heritage and many of them are still suspicious and don’t trust you.” The God of Mischief was still sitting in the provisory throne room, his fingertips tracing his soft lips. Restlessly, his gaze wandered around on the green grass until he brought it up to meet Thor’s.

“What do you suggest?” He offered. Though his words were sincere, there was a hint of a mocking tone in his voice. The Thunderer, of course, did not notice. Only Valkyrie did, who silently stood there in a corner with her arms crossed. The three of them were the only people in the room.

“You know I don’t want this throne but if I leave it to you, I must know for sure that you will take care of our folk. Regain their trust, show them you care for them.”

“Both you and I know I am highly unskilled in gaining people’s trust.” Loki’s thoughts jumped to you. _You_ trusted him. How had he managed again?

“I am though,” Valkyrie tossed in. The God of Mischief shot her a pondering glare. “I could be of help. Smiling politely is all I’d have to do, the ruling I leave to you. We’ve grown quite… familiar anyway and we’re a lot more alike than I’d like to admit. Announce it tomorrow, before (Y/N) and Bruce leave us, during the feast.”

Thor nodded as an eerie silence filled the room once more. He was anxious; they must have talked about this before. Loki was a feisty man who took what he wanted without asking. Only this time, if he wanted to remain king of this realm, this might in fact be his only opportunity, he was very well aware of that, his brother surely wasn’t _that_ stupid. Thus far, the council meetings had not been very successful in terms of new allegiances either. As much as he hated to admit it, Thor was probably right.

“So this is your plan?”

They both nodded. Finally, the God of Mischief sighed. A slight sting right in his heart followed his words when he spoke up again.

“ _Very well._ Then it is decided.”

* * *

It was your sweet sigh that caught his attention when he entered the library late at night. The moon and the stars were already out and illuminating the black sky above them, the sun long gone. Loki was tired, yet there was no way he would be able to sleep. Burying his nose in books, on the other hand, sounded tempting.

An involuntary smile crept up his lips when he spotted your sleeping form on the pile of pillows he had set up. There was a book resting on your lap, the very same he had wanted to read just now. Soundless, he approached you, his steps swallowed by the grass underneath the soles of his dark boots and then, before he could even properly think of what he was doing, he brought up his hand and gently brushed his fingers over your cheek as if to caress you.

He had done this before, much to his own surprise. It felt wonderful to stroke your face as if you were some cherished pet, a lover he deeply cared for. And it were actions he did not comprehend himself, especially when he tenderly lifted you up into his arms and carried you bridal style, through the utter darkness, back to your tent to have you sleep in a proper bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! This is one of my favourite chapters, for we finally get to find out a bit about Loki’s point of view on what’s going on between RC and him. What do you think? :)


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay you guys. This is literally the first chapter I wrote for this story, this is how it came into being in the first place. If you're following me on Tumblr, do you remember me telling you it will be emotional? Well, you better prepare some tissues.

The next morning felt, if anything, strange. Together with Bruce, the only other mortal around, you would finally leave Norway—and Asgard, Thor, Hela and most importantly, Loki, behind you.

The Thunderer had managed to contact Tony Stark, who today would be sending a private jet to fly you back to New York, where it had all started. You couldn’t wait to meet Karen again, to hug her, tell her you were alright and what had happened to you and sincerely mourn her sister with her.

Loki had announced a feast before your departure, a reason to properly bid you both farewell after everything that had almost killed you. Behind this kind gesture, so you knew, lay the sneaky attempt to allay the people, to restore some peace and repose, yet you were looking forward to it—even if it was the last opportunity to see Loki before you left him forever.

When you woke up and found yourself in your bed instead of the library, your first reaction was it to frown at the ceiling. You had been dreaming last night. Of someone joining you on the comfortable pile of pillows and then gently caressing your cheek… perhaps it was about time to go home.

The thought of it filled your heart with joy, yet the very same time, there was sadness clawing at your heart.

“Good morning. Fell asleep in the library again, (Y/N)?” Bruce started when you stepped outside to meet the others around a bonfire. Thor and Valkyrie were joking around and laughing, the scientist himself was sipping a coffee.

Oh. So he was the one who had carried you to bed. You were about to thank him when suddenly, Loki showed up beside you. Your heart jumped and almost made you flinch. Other than Bruce, however, no one seemed to notice your sudden excitement. The knowing look he shot you had a blush creeping up your cheeks. They were practically burning when Loki’s smooth voice reached your ears.

“The celebrations will start at noon. Stark should arrive shortly after the meal.” He explained. Each and every word sent pleasant shivers up and down your spine, realisation that throughout the last couple of days, you had barely spoken to each other, hitting you hard. For some reason… for some very odd and peculiar reason you all too well knew the heritage of… you were not ready to go.

 

“Can you believe we’ve survived this?” Bruce shook his head in an unbelieving manner. His restless eyes searched the crowd in the throne room for a familiar face to spot either Loki or Thor but there were only Asgardian citizens among them. They had disappeared shortly after the main course and would likely return for dessert. You had never eaten this much in your life, especially after what they had fed you on Sakaar.

“Not really,” you gave back, lost in thought and shrugging as you did.

“Me neither. Although I can only remember a few weeks of it all, it was… draining.” You nodded in response. “And now here we are, back on Earth and alive. After everything we’ve been through…”

Oh yes. You had all been through a lot. In only one month’s time, you had seen and experienced so many dreadful, terrifying and deadly things it was hard to remember how exactly you had survived it all. What mattered was that you had. After defeating a goddess, fighting a giant wolf and surviving a realm full of fire, smoke and glowing embers, you were still alive—and it was all thanks to Loki, the very man who just now returned with Valkyrie and Thor to stand before his throne to elicit a smile from you and raised his arms to quieten the cheerfully chatting crowd.

“My friends…” He started, standing to raise his arms in the air. Instantly, the whole room silenced, curious as to find out what it was their new king was going to tell them. _My friends?_ Just this once, he didn’t sound as superior and condescending as usual. You frowned. “There is a special occasion for which I invited you all here to feast with me. As you are aware, our two Midgardian guests will be leaving us today and we are to bid them a proper farewell. May they return back home safe and sound.”

The crowd beneath him cheered and while you managed to lift the corners of your mouth to a timid smile once more. Bruce only shifted uncomfortably on his chair.

“However,” Loki continued, pausing to build tension, “There is something else I would like to announce.” He paused once more. Wicked silver tongue. “Being king can be a great burden. A burden that requires a lot of strength, support and dedication and is best shared to properly care for a people. I would like to therefore introduce you to my fiancé and your future queen of Asgard.”

Your blood ran cold.

“The fierce Valkyrie!” A condescending smile was playing on her lips when she joined Loki before the throne, nodding thankfully at all the admiring sounds of agreement and delight she received. “Now then! Let us have dessert!”

Swallowing thickly, you watched how Asgard’s folk blithely returned to their plates after Loki and Valkyrie had made themselves comfortable. Servants hurried over to them to pour refreshing ale into their empty cups and while they served delicious dishes, Asgardian specialties, to all visitors, you quickly got on your feet and stepped back to hide in the shadows of a pillar.

“Excuse me, will you?” You mumbled to Bruce who had already noticed your discomfort. He only gave you a court and compassionate look to indicate he understood and then, you frenziedly bolted the throne room.

It was like someone had driven metal hooks into your heart, twisting and turning them inside of you and ready to painfully draw life from you.

_He was going to marry Valkyrie._ He was going to marry the woman who had looked at him with utter disgust upon finding out about his true heritage, the one person you hated with a passion for it. Of course though, she was the better choice. Valkyrie was Asgardian. She was powerful, skilled and, as much as you hated to admit it, intelligent. A perfect match for a king like Loki and the perfect woman to gain a people’s trust. He would be happy with her. How could you not have noticed? The last couple of days, he had barely spent any time with you. Valkyrie on the other hand, had been around the whole time, forcing her advice on his ruling. What had changed? How could he forgive her for what names she had called him for being a Frost Giant? Would he overlook it because of the sex? Had they gone back to loveless fucking?

The thought of it stung in your eyes, hot and salty tears worsening your sight. You had no idea where you were headed anyway until suddenly, you found yourself in Loki’s provisory library, its dozens of books luring you into false comfort by enchanting you with the wise words it held. The one place which made you feel close to the God of Mischief again.

You scoffed as you blinked away the tears you were unwilling to shed. There had been too much crying in the last couple of weeks, too much heartache and pain. Was a single person even able to feel all of this in such a short amount of time? Perhaps you were dead and had gone to Valhalla already but then again… your definition of paradise wasn’t Loki wedding Valkyrie.

Taking a deep breath, you chose a book to occupy yourself with, determined to get lost in its story. For just a brief moment, the world was fine again. _You_ were fine, unable to feel the agony clawing at you with sharp and poisonous nails.

“You are not celebrating?”

His smooth voice had you flinch. The book you had grabbed in a desperate attempt to distract yourself almost fell from your weak grasp when you turned your head to face the man of your lovesickness. His attire was as impressive as usual. With every step he took, the green cape flapped behind him like eager waves at the shore of a blue sea. A sea as blue as his eyes that opened the gates to his soul, to the very feelings only you had caught a secret glimpse at. Would Valkyrie see them too? Would she care to heal his wounds and attend to his scars? You sincerely hoped that she would.

“I’ve never been one for celebrating,” you responded, smiling weakly as you did. You managed a shrug before setting the book aside. He was standing only an arm-length from you now. Insecurely, you cleared your throat. “Congratulations on your engagement.”

Loki nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you.”

_Pause._ “Why are you here then?” You asked carelessly. Naturally, you were anything but so.

“I have never been one for celebrating, little minx.” He copied with a smirk. A chuckle escaped your lips, scaring away the pain in your heart for a second.

“Touché.”

_Pause._ Your breath was shaking as you let your gaze drift over the many books in the giant hall, desperate to lock eyes with something other than these blue oceans of his. You couldn’t bare it any longer, not if you wanted to remain calm. It was bad enough your heart was pounding so fast you feared for it to break out of your chest.

“I’m gonna miss this library,” you stated, albeit it wasn’t what you actually wanted to say. _I’m gonna miss you_ , you corrected yourself silently.

Loki smiled knowingly. You had grown familiar with this room, after all, learned its secrets and ancient knowledge. It was only a fraction of what he himself had acquired but he knew all too well you were telling the truth. He had missed the library in the palace too during his time in the dungeons.

“When are we leaving?” You asked then.

“Stark will arrive any minute. Once the beast has recovered from all the ale he is drinking right now.” Good old Bruce who was the only one who knew what was _really_ going on inside your tormented mind. Another sigh escaped your lips, followed by Loki’s amused chuckle.

“I think he is trying to outdrink Thor. He’s quite tipsy too already.”

“It takes a lot for Asgardians to get drunk, little minx.”

You were going to miss his playfulness too. The way he liked to tease you just to see that taunting smile on your face.

“What about Frost Giants then?”

The God of Mischief smirked but his expression was blurry. You realised with a start it were your tears. “I have not yet tried.”

“You should. You have a lot to celebrate.”

Suppressing the trembling of your limbs, you took a step towards him and forced a weak smile. Your eyes were shimmering with unshed tears as you placed your hands on his chest and then stood on your toes to place a gentle kiss on his cheek—to at least once feel what it was like if not for the one time his lips had grazed yours.

“Goodbye, Loki.” You said quietly, turning to leave. You never watched his reaction.

As soon as the linen of the tent’s entrance fell back in place, you burst out in tears, your quiet sobbing echoing through the empty and vast landscape of Asgard’s new home.

 

It was a truly beautiful sight. White clouds, a blue sky, the evergreen bushes and the colourful flowers dancing in the cool wind that whistled through the air… Norway was your new definition of restful peace and Asgard knew to cherish it. No wonder Loki had wanted to be king so desperately. It was treasure.

By now, your tears had dried off. Your reddened cheeks were only moist and your eyes were swollen from all the salt water when Thor appeared behind you. The private jet Stark had sent was impressive—at least, it would be a pleasant journey home.

“What the hell happened to your hair, Point Break?” Tony took off his sunglasses to reveal a shocked expression, his lips slightly parted. “The pirate look suits you though. A little old-fashioned maybe but still, I think I like it. Banner!” He shouted then. Thor smiled and shook his head. So there was another Avenger. What an interesting twist your life had taken. Maybe with this story, you would finally be granted your big breakthrough as a journalist.

It took Tony a while to catch up with the scientist. When he finally turned to you, he winked.

“You must be (Y/N) then. Tony Stark, Iron Man.” He bragged jokingly.

“Hello, Mr Stark.”

“Are you ready to go home? I would be.”

You returned his smile as honestly as you could as you nodded. “Yes. I’m ready.” And it might have been the biggest lie you had ever told.

Following Tony back to the private jet, you were almost a little surprised when you spotted Valkyrie and Loki waiting for you to say goodbye as well.

“I promise to come visit you, big guy.” Thor joked as he pulled Bruce into a hug. The scientist patted his back.

“Anytime. Just try to, you know, not to bring along another revengeful sister.”

The Thunderer laughed. “I shall try to. Farewell, Banner.”

Then, he turned to you. _So this is goodbye_ , a faint voice in your head whispered. This was going to be one of those cheesy farewells where everyone in the movie theatre cried emotional tears. You appreciated it though. You ravished every single second of it. What else was there left to do?

_Please, let something get in between._

“I’ll think of you next time there’s a thunderstorm, yes?” You teased, smiling as you wrapped your arms around his broad form. “Goodbye, Thor.”

“Farewell, (Y/N).”

_Let something happen, please!_

Valkyrie was next. Only reluctantly did she step forward and stretched out her hand for you to take it.

“You know I still don’t like you.” She started, her dark eyes boring into yours. “But I have to admit that I didn’t think you would make it. You have a strong will. You have my respect.”

Loki was watching. The motion of him tilting his chin curiously was barely visible when you huffed. Your voice was eerily calm as you spoke.

“I don’t need your respect, Valkyrie.” You countered coolly. “Be a good queen.”

Now what was there left to say? What was there left to do? Would you be able to embrace him one more time, wish him all the best, knowing that you would never see him again? _No, you can’t,_ your tears whispered as they returned. So you simply bowed slightly before him, seeking out his blue eyes for a very last time.

“My king,” you mused in awe, enjoying how his typical mischievous smirk grew on his soft lips.

So this was it. You were going home. You were going to leave behind the man you had grown to love more than yourself, more than anyone else in all of the nine realms. You were willing to let him live the happy life he deserved after all he had been through, even if he spent it with a woman that wasn’t you.

Turning around, you gave Tony a court nod. The tears were burning in your eyes, worsening your sight and your lower lip was quivering so intensely you feared not to be able to hold back your sobbing much longer. Tony only frowned. Of course—only Bruce knew of your aching troubles.

_Please, let something happen, anything, I don’t want to leave!_

“(Y/N), wait!”

Your heart skipped a beat. Loki was rushing towards you so fast you failed to blink when he suddenly pulled you in his arms and held you tight against his strong body. Within the fraction of a second, he stole away your composure. Your crying was so loud and heart-breaking the whole of Asgard must have heard and suffered from it.

“Thank you.” He muttered into your ear. He didn’t say anything else and yet you knew he wasn’t just thanking you for helping him keep his betrayal a secret. He was thanking you for _everything._ For your time, your ear, your shoulder to lean on, for being the friend he had never had and quite simply—for understanding him.

“Take care of yourself, okay?” You choked out, unable to talk properly. Loki nodded.

“I will.”

It was hard to let go of him. Fuck, everything was hard. It was hard to watch him marry a woman you hated, it was hard granting him happiness if it didn’t include you. Was this a test? For if you truly loved Loki, it was now time to let him go? You were determined to do so, even if it tore you apart.

So you stepped away, taking a last glance at the man you had fallen for before allowing Tony to take your hand. Still sobbing, you climbed on board and listened to the engines of the private jet humming to life. It took off after mere seconds.

“We’ll land in New York in about eight hours. Make yourself at home.” Tony announced, unbeknownst of the storm rioting inside you.

Bruce patted your shoulder as you watched Norway getting smaller, with Thor still waving at the metal construction up in the air—you couldn’t bring yourself to look at Loki again.

“Home,” he sighed, inhaling deeply.

“Yeah,” you whispered sadly. “Home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me now.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Infinity war traumatised me. Anyone else?  
> Please be aware that this story will start containing spoilers starting from Chapter 27!

Although you loved your job as a thriving journalist in the heart of your hometown, knocking-off time was still the best part of the day. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon already, the first stars sparkling in the dark sky. Stretching yourself proudly for what you had achieved today, you tidied up your working space, packed your stuff and then left the office.

Four months had passed since your departure from Norway. You kept in touch with Bruce, even Tony occasionally—he had been the one to provide you with this wonderful for a rather popular magazine. Ever since you had screwed up your application in New York City, due to these unfortunate events, all you wanted in future was to stay away from this godforsaken place. The very place you had met Loki for the first time.

Your heart still ached whenever you thought of him, tears threatening to ruin your carefully applied make-up. You spent an awful lot of time crying yourself to sleep at night, hugging your pillow in a desperate attempt to imagine Loki by your side. The therapist you had consulted after… _everything_ had barely helped you getting over him.

You really loved him. You loved this mischievous man so much it tore your heart in two. Karen noticed there was something wrong with you, of course—after your lachrymose reunion and a silent visit to Susan’s grave, you told her everything. How you had met Stephen Strange, ended up on Sakaar, pretended to be a pleasure slave, fell in love with Loki, had him train you and then, how you had fought undead skeletons on Asgard. You spent a lot of time sobbing heartbreakingly that day.

Karen believed you, said she could practically _hear_ , _see_ and _feel_ your love for him. Even after four months, nothing had changed. Would you ever see him again? You highly doubted it. Loki was the rightful king of Asgard now and even though he was on the same planet, Norway was still far away. Besides… he had married Valkyrie. A fearless warrior you admired for her strength even though you still hated the guts out of her—even more so now. Was he happy with her? You sincerely hoped so, hoped that she would hug him like you had, that she would kiss him like you had dreamed you would and that she would listen to him like you always had.

And every now and then, you caught yourself wondering if occasionally, you were on Loki’s mind as well. He had not contacted you since your departure, you didn’t even know if he was alright. He was busy of course and as a king, you didn’t expect him to check on you. This was not Sakaar anymore. You were back home, had gone back to your normal life—you were perfectly capable of taking care of yourself again. When he had almost kissed you… had it meant anything to him at all? It _had_ to. The way he had looked at you… like you were the most precious possession of his.

While Karen was doubtlessly able to understand your confusing feelings for the God of Mischief, your parents disagreed. You had met them first thing after returning home, of course, told them everything that had happened and spent a full week with them, constantly hugging and holding hands with your mother and father for them to realise you were still alive. The police had been contacted, Doctor Strange had showed up to clarify things and you had visited Susan’s parents with Karen to express your compassion.

After four months, you had now fairly gone back to your normal life. Sakaar, death and destruction was in the past and the world… _your_ world, was all but fine again. Well, from the outside it was.

Sighing, you got off the bus you had taken to get home and crossed the street to get to your apartment. You had thought about adopting a cat to defy your loneliness—maybe at some point, you actually would. A black cat with green eyes… and you would call it Loki.

There. You had lied there earlier. He _always_ was on your thoughts. Love didn’t have a switch you could simply turn it off with. Once the light was on, it was like a flame. By the time it died down and drowned you in darkness again, your heart would be broken—melted like the wax of a candle.

You checked the post on your way upstairs, catching a glimpse of some bills and a newsletter. Nothing special then… maybe you should order some Chinese food and watch another one of these overly romantic movies. Karen would scold you for sinking into your heartache as if you had stepped into a puddle of quicksand. You kept on sinking. There was nothing you could do about it.

Thor’s smile faltered a little when he entered Loki’s chambers. Valkyrie was with him, her expression dark and defying, indignant even. Even four months after announcing their engagement, there had been no time for a wedding. Asgard’s energy had been invested in building new and proper houses for the people but now, with nothing else in the way, Thor slowly began to realise that Loki was dragging out the wedding for as long as he possibly could.

Valkyrie was furious, and, much more importantly, the people were getting impatient, suspicious even.

“When, Loki? They are soon going to demand to learn what is going on.” Valkyrie spat angrily. They both knew she wasn’t keen on becoming queen of Asgard—it was the fact Loki was fooling his folk once more.

The God of Mischief glared at her, his blue eyes sparkling dangerously. “When I see fit,” His gaze drifted over to Thor when she stormed out cursing quietly. “So?”

“Stark will send us the material by the end of the week.” Thor announced cheerfully. “It took me some time to convince him though.”

Loki smirked. Of course it did. After what Loki had done in New York…

“Any other news?”

It was then Thor’s smile disappeared completely. He nodded sternly, telling him about how Strange had sensed strange energies—powerful, hazardous energies able to destroy an entire realm. Loki frowned. He had hidden the Tesseract, it was out of reach… was it?

“There is something else, brother.”

“What?” Loki looked up, startled at how he had become so lost in thought with a start.

“(Y/N).”

His body language should have given him away when he instantly sat upright, dreading Thor’s next words. Were you alright? Had something happened? He should have kept an eye on you. Heimdall knew too much already. He couldn’t possibly ask him to watch over you every now and then; and staying away from you, letting you live your life as he lived his, seemed to be the simplest and most logical option for both. Even four months after you had left him—sobbing so much it had driven invisible daggers into his heart—he would still not comprehend why he kept thinking of you.

“She is not well,” Thor continued. “Strange has spoken to her. Physically, she seems to hold up, she has recovered well but she… she seems broken.” _Heart_ broken? “If she has trouble dealing with what she has been through, Loki, then it is our responsibility to help her heal.”

_Oh no, you will stay out of this_ , Loki thought, clenching his fists in the process. You were unwell? Were you being tormented by the same feelings he did not seem able to understand?

“I hardly believe that is any of your concern, _brother_.”

“Loki… she is suffering. I don’t know why or how but I think it has something to do with what happened when she was with us… with you.”

Would Thor, for once in his life, be smart enough to find out about the bond you shared with him? The romantic feelings you so obviously harboured for him? He had never been the most intelligent warrior of Asgard, after all. Slowly, however, he seemed to pick up on it. So had Heimdall and Bruce Banner, that raging green monster.

He had tried to keep it at bay—to ignore whatever there was between you two. It hadn’t helped, not in the slightest, if anything, it had made things worse. You were in pain because of him. Perhaps it was… time to act on the signs Frigga kept sending him?

* * *

“Hey, (Y/N).” The next day, Ricardo lifted his hand to greet you, walking past you with a coffee in hand. The second one he was carrying, he placed on your desk. “Milk, sugar and caramel flavoured, just how you like it.” He winked.

You had met him after your second day here. Men—expect for Loki, maybe—were hardly any complicated. Ricardo was obviously interested in you, you had realised the day he had asked you about your coffee preferences. Ever since then, he bought you one every morning. He must have spent a fortune already. Starbucks was fairly expensive, after all.

“Thank you, Ric.” Smiling at him, you took a sip, attempting to focus on your laptop when you noticed he had not moved.

“(Y/N), so… I was wondering… since it’s Friday night…” _Oh._ He was going to ask you out. Biting your lower lip, your heart started pounding nervously before he had even finished his sentence. Ricardo was a nice guy, decent and honest. Technically, he was perfect dating material—all the other women in the office drooled over him from behind their laptops, hoping he would ask _them_ out instead of you. You liked him too, really, maybe even beyond a simple friendship but… _Loki._ Yes. There was Loki. Every guy you saw on the street, every guy who talked to you… you all compared them to the one man you knew you could never have. With Ricardo, you missed the cheeky playfulness, that impressive intelligence and cunning and of course… the icy blue eyes and raven hair you had grown to love so much. Ric’s hair was blonde and short and his eyes were brown. He was handsome but Loki… Loki was _beautiful._ “I was wondering if maybe you want to go and see a movie with me?”

And why not? Four months. Four bloody months. Were you going to stop dating forever? Perhaps you still hoped that one day, Loki would take you back to Norway and declare his love for you? You snorted, quietly, so Ric wouldn’t hear it.

“Um… Ric, I think… I would love to.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! Here's a new chapter, have fun reading! ;-)

You insisted on taking the bus after knocking-off time. Ricardo wanted to take you to a restaurant right away, having dinner together before heading to the cinema. Whether it was the urge to take a shower, freshen up a little and make yourself pretty before your date or the fact you wanted to drag this out for as long as possible, you did not know. Perhaps… it was a mixture of both.

After taking a shower that took a lot longer than usual, you were smart enough to apply your make-up before putting on that red blouse and skirt. You would pair them with some black heels and a leather jacket—anything but green. Anything that could remind you of Loki.

Satisfied with your work, you went to grab your hair straightener from the bedroom. Then, you stopped dead in your tracks, however, your eyes widening in shock and your lips parting. There was a man standing in the middle of your bedroom.

“Loki…” This wasn’t real. He was _not_ here. There he stood, leather armour, green cape, raven hair, those curious blue eyes you instantly lost yourself in and a mischievous smirk on his thin lips, right in the middle of your bedroom.

“Am I hallucinating?” You asked him, your eyes filling up with tears. Screw your make-up. Was he an illusion?

Loki shook his head. “You’re not, little minx. I’m here.”

And then, you literally _flew_ into his arms. Hugging him tightly, you let out all of the frustration that had built up in your body over the last four months, right until your strength left your body and you went limp in his arms.

The God of Mischief chuckled.

“How are you?” You asked, excited as you locked eyes with him. Loki returned your glance with surprise.

“How are _you_?”

“I’m… fine?” I’m fine _now_ , you mutely corrected yourself. This couldn’t be happening. Loki was _here_ , with you, in your very own apartment. Why had he come here? Had he… missed you? As much as you had missed him? You could barely hold back the urge to scream you _loved_ him, right in his face.

“Are you really? Thor told me you might not be all too well since you left us.” So he had been worried? It was true, you hardly ever left the house except for work. Crying and mourning the loss of a love you had never owned had become a part of you ever since your departure.

“I’m okay.” Your smile was weak, yet Loki seemed content with your answer for now. He allowed himself to take a look around.

“So this is your place?”

 “Yes. My flat. I was going to live in New York before… well, you know. I… just couldn’t go back there.”

Loki nodded. He understood, of course.

“Why are you here?”

“I came to see you. How you are holding up after your adventures.” You didn’t expect him to ask you for permission when he simply sat down on your bed and tilted his head for you to join him.

This was impossible. Loki was back, he was sitting on your bed! The memories came crushing back, knocking you down like Thor’s hammer. The almost-kiss, the hugs, the tears, the countless nights you had spent cuddled up in bed together…

“Tell me.”

“Oh, well… Tony helped me snatch a job at one of my favourite magazines. It’s great, I love my work.” Loki nodded once more. He seemed genuinely interested. “I might soon be promoted too!”

You bit your lower lip. “What about you? How is… married life?” The sting in your heart when you spoke the words had you flinch, your hatred for Valkyrie returning. For a second, you had almost forgotten she even existed.

The God of Mischief smirked once more. For a moment, it looked like he was going to reach for your hand and hold it. Then, however, he tensed.

“I am not married as of yet.”

The only time you had ever been this relieved was when you had learned Loki had survived Ragnarok.

“You’re not?” You attempted nonchalantly. “How?”

Loki sighed. “Thor suggested it would ease our people if I wedded her. I have been postponing it ever since. I do not love her. I never have. I believe you know this.” He said, a taunting tone audible in his smooth voice. “Ruling is one thing. But even my mother—Frigga—loved Odin dearly.” You understood. It was something he had hoped for himself too. He had tricked Thor yet again. Your heart jumped once more.

Nodding, you smiled at him and suppressed a childish giggle. He didn’t love her! Did that mean… you actually stood a chance? Ha! If only… you were still a mortal, nothing had changed about that.

For a while, neither of you said anything. You sighed as you leaned against him, hugging him once more. The peaceful silence was only ripped away from you when your phone rang.

“Oh. Sorry.”

Rather reluctantly, you stood to pick up. It was Ricardo. _Shit._ Your date!

“Uh, hello?”

“Hey, (Y/N). Should I come pick you up? The movie starts at nine, there’s still time, of course, but I was just wondering…”

And now what? Dump him? You couldn’t do that. At some point, you had actually been looking forward to this night. But now that Loki had showed up and stirred up your strong feelings for him yet again, it felt… wrong.

 _No._ You should go. Ignoring the butterflies in your belly when you thought of the God of Mischief patiently waiting in your bedroom for you to come back to him. Would he disappear again in a few hours? There was no guarantee Loki had returned to you to prove he loved you. He might not marry Valkyrie… or not yet, at least but if you were a mere friend he thought it would be polite to visit… you were not going to miss out the chance on pulling a decent guy. This was a plausible thing to do, right? _No, no, no!_

“Oh! That’s… that’s nice, Ric, thank you. Um, can you give me another hour? I’ll call you, okay?”

“No problem. I see you then.” You hung up.

“Who was that?” Loki asked when you turned around, concern and curiosity present on your face. Why was it so hard to tell him?

“That was, um… my date.”

“Your what?” Loki’s face fell. His blue eyes narrowed as he frowned at you.

“I was planning to go out tonight before you showed up. You know—“

“With friends?” He probed.

“No… with a guy. It’s a _date_. His name is Ricardo, he is one of my co-workers. He is a really nice guy, so I—“

“No.” He said simply, interrupting you harshly.

“Excuse me?”

“You will not go.”

“What?!” You must have been hearing things. You were not exactly keen on going out with another guy either, not now that the man you _actually_ loved was right there in front of you and not impossibly far away, marrying another woman. But this? You might as well go out _because_ of his gruesome reaction.

“You are not going to meet him. How will you know his intentions are honourable?”

Gnashing your teeth, you clenched your fists. _Now_ you were angry. “You’re the one talking about honour, Loki.” Had he forgotten how he had betrayed his own brother? How you had stood up for him, _lied_ for him even? You would have stayed on this godforsaken planet with him if it only meant he was going to be alright—because you _loved_ him. Still, your response was mean. You almost regretted it. After all, he had kept _you_ safe on Sakaar…

Loki did not sound like he cared about you finding someone to spend your life with. Much rather, he seemed… jealous. Oh, absolutely not. This was _impossible_.

 _What was he doing? What were_ you _doing?_ How had you gone from a tearful reunion to a feisty fight this quick? You refused to believe he was jealous. Why would he be? You had hoped for so long Loki would take a romantic interest in you, you were not going to hope in vain again.

“We are not on Sakaar anymore, Loki! I don’t need your permission! I haven’t talked to you in _months_ and now suddenly you show up in my life again, wanting to control it? I won’t have that, fuck you! Who do you think you are?!”

The God of Mischief seemed all but unfazed. His glare was deadly when it met yours. “Your king.”

You blinked, not quite believing his words. Was he serious? Maybe he really was cruel and evil, even if everything inside you screamed he was not. Did he have to take even your last hope? Couldn’t you at least date… and eventually _fuck_ other men to get over him? Apparently, you could not. Loki was relentless. When you stormed off in a rage, attempting to rip open the bedroom door, it wouldn’t budge a smidge despite it being unlocked. _Damn his magic._

“You are not leaving.” He repeated. He stood when you took off one of your high heels and threw it at him.

“Open the bloody door!”

Loki dodged it effortlessly, approaching you fast and dangerously. You were about to take off your second heel and throw it but this time, he was quicker. Catching your wrist in mid-air, he made you drop your absurd weapon, snatched your other wrist as well and pressed you against the bedroom door.

Your whole body touched his, his chest rubbing against your hardening nipples. The fabric of your blouse and bra was way too thin. _Shit._

A surprised moan escaped your lips when his mouth came crashing down on yours, his lips devouring yours in such a desperate and dominant manner, your knees almost gave in. _W-what…?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else who was waiting for this?! And it only took them 22 bloody chapters to finally kiss. It’s another mean cliffhanger, I know but I promise it will be worth it. ;-)


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! Here’s the new chapter… I kept you waiting for almost too long! ;-) Have fun reading!

“W-wait, Loki… stop!”

The God of Mischief halted, taken aback by your unexpected resistance. Hell, you did not _want_ him to stop. Your heart and body were screaming _yes_ , singing loudly as if they had ascended to heaven. Only your mind was still suspicious—or maybe just a little more reasonable.

“You can’t just… show up here after three months and kiss me without any explaining!” _Especially not after forbidding me to go out with another man_ , you added silently.

The throaty laugh you got in response made a dozen planes take off in your stomach.

“Why not?”

“B-be-because… because… I…” But the more you fought to take things slow and have Loki explain what exactly was going on in that mischievous mind of his… the more you realised you couldn’t find a single reason—or at least, none that could wait until you had both taken care of that numbing sexual tension between you. You must have been dreaming…

Your resistance died down in an instant when he smirked and simply pressed his lips against yours once more, even fiercer now. Kissing him back with all your might, Loki soon let go of your hands to explore your body. He had touched those delicious curves of yours so often already and yet it felt like he was now putting his hands on you for the very first time. His tongue sneaked into your mouth demandingly, his fingers hooking into the thin fabric of your blouse. One second passed until he had ripped it off your body.

“Loki! That blouse was expensive!” He allowed you to pull away from him for only a moment, your lips already swollen from his delicate kiss. The God of Mischief only chuckled.

“You do look a lot better in _my_ colours, little minx.” With that, his lips were on yours again, kissing you into oblivion. Your eyes fell shut, your mind unable to comprehend what was happening. Loki was _kissing_ you! You had not been wrong… he _had_ missed you… he… he felt the same for you? You barely managed to force back the tears forming in your eyes.

Your kiss grew more passionate. Loki’s tongue kept playing with yours, teasing it relentlessly all the while his soft hands now occupied himself with your bra, your moaning all but submissive to his attention when he shoved his fingers under the sexy fabric you had chosen for the evening and cupped your breasts. Tauntingly, he rubbed his thumbs over your hard nipples. They almost hurt by the time he was done with them as he kept groping your mounds so desirously. Finally, he removed the annoying piece of underwear, this time bothering to keep it intact before tossing it away.

It was him who pulled away now. As you looked up at him panting and flustered, his blue eyes rested on your breasts for a while, then slowly wandered down your body. He quickly realised your skirt had to go too—and who would you be to object? Biting your lower lip while holding back a smile, you never took your eyes off him as he grabbed both the fabric of the skirt and your underwear and simply pulled them down. They slid off your body with ease, for you to step out of them—utterly naked at his mercy. Loki’s blue eyes—now filled with lust and greed—immediately locked with your pussy.

Would he be able to see you were already positively dripping for him? You had been wet the moment he had slipped his tongue into your mouth. Oh, this was everything you had ever wanted and more! Being this close to him, making _love_ to him.

He was still silent. For a second, you almost feared he didn’t like what he saw. You let out a breath you did not realise you were holding when he spoke up.

“Oh dear, aren’t you beautiful, little minx?” He teased. “ _Ravishing…_ I shall tell you a secret.” Loki came closer again, his hands gripping your hips and yanking you against him so frantically you gasped. A moan escaped your lips when your naked skin connected with his leather armour. There was something about it that had you turn to jelly for him.

Loki’s lips lightly grazed your earlobes, his hot breath ghosting over your neck. “I have been imagining what that luscious little body looks like ever since you stepped out of that shower in my apartment on Sakaar.” He admitted; and while your heart seemed to skip a beat, your lower parts clenched in joyful anticipation. Back when you had only worn a turquoise towel to cover yourself. Loki had barely been capable of taking his eyes off of you.

“Don’t forget to breath, little minx.” But you had already. Your brain was malfunctioning, your body programmed to please him and receive pleasure in return, for all you could think about was how much you longed for Loki to sink his cock into you. Would he be big? For sure.

Gasping loudly so you could hear it, you let him lift you up and carry you over to your bed as you wrapped your legs around his waist. You were all but obedient when he lay you down and simply eyed you for a few moments, admiring his prize.

“Loki… please…”

He had the nerve to smirk! Regardless of it sending pleasant shivers up and down your spine, you whined and squirmed, ready to just pull him down to you and kiss him senseless again when finally, Loki crawled on the mattress as well and hovered above you like a lion preparing to devour its prey.

“T-take off your c-clothes for me… please.” You barely realised your begging was turning you both on even more. Your clit was throbbing with need already, your pussy desperate to be filled—with _him._

Loki reached up to caress your cheek, brushing a streak of your hair from your face. Your lips parted as more memories washed over you. _He_ had found you in the library that night and carried you to bed. It had been him all along…

The God of Mischief didn’t bother to remove his clothes the human way. They simply… disappeared. A green shimmer of light surrounded his whole body for a second as he magicked them away, eliciting an impressed gasp from you as he did. He chuckled again in response, yet very soon, something else caught your attention.

Hungrily, you let your gaze wander over his naked body. His chest, not as muscly as Thor’s but still well-defined, you had seen before but his thighs were about as perfect and strong and between his legs… his erection was massive. Loki was rock-hard already, ready to bury himself deep inside you. A drop of precum was glistening on the pink tip, a few veins on his shaft pulsating with need.

You were almost surprised _your_ body, _you_ —would arouse him this much. Surely, he had bedded beautiful _Asgardian_ women, lastly the fierce Valkyrie and yet, here he was, above you in your very own bed and impatient to finally claim you as his.

Oh, how you longed to taste him. Take him into your mouth, circle him with your tongue and lick his shaft until he shivered with lust. You wanted to taste his seed, swallowing all of him… would he let you?

Loki seemed to be delighted by the idea as well as he watched you lick your lips absentmindedly and fix your eyes on his cock.

“We have all the time in the world, little minx.”

You moaned when he positioned himself between your legs, lowering his face between your breasts and placing a soft kiss on your skin. Like butterflies, his lips ghosted over your body, his tongue darting out every now and then to taste _you_ instead. A gasp escaped your lips when he sucked one of your aching nipples into his mouth, his tongue playing with the sensitive nub until you arched your back, squirming underneath him.

Loki took his time to attend to your other nipple as well, once he was done appreciating your breasts, it was your neck he practically seemed to worship.

Desperately, you dug your fingernails into his back, enjoying in a trance-like state how he kept plastering kisses on your vulnerable skin. You screamed half-heartedly when he bit down and suckled on it, leaving an almost painful hickey. He repeated the action several times before his lips wandered up to caress your chin and then met your mouth again.

The moment he forced his tongue between your lips was the moment you felt his tip pressing against your wanting entrance. It was then you panicked.

“Loki! Loki, wait, please!”

Alarmed, the God of Mischief stopped again, pulling away only a few inches to see if you were alright.

“We need… protection. I have… condoms in my drawer, I’m not on the pill…” You explained coyly, resisting the urge to start scratching the back of your hand.

For a second, Loki seemed all but confused, right until he realised what you meant by ‘protection’. A little startled, he nodded.

“We will not need…” he hesitated. “…whatever it is you keep in your drawer. I shall use a spell.”

His magic was impressive. There was no need to worry, then, right?

He didn’t take long. Your breath hitched when he gently cupped your cheek and made you look at him.

“Do you trust me?” How often had he asked this question and gotten nothing but mockery and suspicion in response? He _was_ the Trickster, the God of Mischief and Lies but… his soul, his heart—it was strong but broken. Of course you trusted him. He had saved your life.

You nodded. “I do.”

Loki groaned as he slowly sheathed himself deep inside you. Pushing in to the hilt carefully, you gasped for air, your moaning possibly having alarmed your neighbours downstairs by now. This felt _beyond_ incredible. Having sex with a handsome man was one thing… having sex with the man you loved, however, was another. It was better. It was _so_ much better.

And he was big. Loki was just long and thick enough to fill you up so deliciously you felt like you would cum from him penetrating you alone. He had barely touched you yet, down there. Would he make up for it?

Your head fell back as he started moving inside you, your hips bucking up into him as you met his powerful thrusts.

“How… long?” He suddenly breathed out as he kept pumping into you firmly, each of his thrusts driving you closer to an earth-shaking orgasm. There was no need to ask what he meant. How long had you been in love with him? Had he only guessed what feelings you truly harboured for him? Ever since you had first met him. You had only taken a long while to realise. When, when, when?

“I knew the day you sold Thor to the Grandmaster,” you started. Speaking proved harder than you assumed. Loki kept grazing your g-spot so thoroughly, your eyes almost rolled to the back of your head. “I… I knew you had done a bad thing… the worst thing and I still… wanted… to be with you… _ah_!” His next thrust had you scream again.

Loki was growling like a wolf. Furiously, his lips came crashing down on yours once more, his fingers sneaking down to where your bodies were united. It took him only the fraction of a second to find what he was looking for as he parted your already stretched pussy lips and started toying with your clit, rubbing, circling and teasing it until you believed to black out from all the bliss building in your body. Almost there, almost there…

“Cum for me, little minx.” His cheeky nickname for you was all you needed to let go. Your whole body tensed, then relaxed, then tensed, then relaxed… your orgasm washed over you like a tidal wave. Hitting every single cell inside you, you felt the pleasure rushing through you, your walls contracting around his hard member. Loki moaned when he felt you cumming for him, milking his cock forcefully as you arched your back and shouted his name into your bedroom, again and again until you were completely spent and went limp for a moment.

The God of Mischief chuckled darkly—you could practically _hear_ the hunger in his voice when he sped up even more now, his length pounding you with no mercy and desperate to reach his own peak now. With but a few more, rough thrusts, Loki growled once again, his member twitching and pulsating inside you. It was too much, too much, too much… his fingers were still on your clit and then, just before his hot seed shot deep inside you, filling you up and marking you as his, he started rubbing it again. You came again so fast there were stars dancing before your eyes, your mind unable to comprehend how fast all of this pleasure had risen inside you once more… Loki’s cock was jerking inside you as you clenched around him repeatedly, taking every last bit of his cum until he was empty and collapsed, exhausted, next to your naked form. You were almost disappointed at the loss of his cock inside your pussy.

“That… was… _wow._ ” It was all you managed to choke out for a while. In response, Loki’s fingers disappeared in between your hair and gently started stroking it, massaging your scalp. Sighing, you leaned into him, cuddling up against his warm body and resting your cheek on his chest.

“I love you…” You mumbled before you could stop yourself, your eyes falling shut tiredly. There. Now he knew. You had said it—and although you had not said it on purpose just now, it felt _so_ good you kept your merry smile even when you fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We can all agree that this is the chapter we have all been waiting for, right?! This might only be the beginning though…


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! Thank you again for 10k followers on Tumblr, I still can’t believe it! Enjoy the new chapter! ♥

You were confused the next morning when your alarm clock went off. Groaning sleepily, you reached for your phone to turn it off only to realise you would be late for work if you turned over and kept on sleeping. That dream… that wonderful dream… Loki had come to visit you. He had not married Valkyrie, he had _kissed_ you. Had you… had orgasms in your sleep? You had come two times for him yesterday.

Stretching, you got out of bed and gasped for air when a warm liquid dribbled out from between your legs. Oh no… it was too early for your period, this couldn’t be—

When you looked down, however, you realised that it was not blood staining your inner thighs. It was Loki’s seed.

Swallowing thickly, you quickly cleaned yourself with a tissue and then threw on your bathrobe before hurrying out of the bedroom. There he was, in the kitchen, studying the magazines on the table. He looked up instantly when he heard your footsteps approaching even though your bare feet barely made a sound.

You had told him you _loved_ him last night. Had he even replied to you? If he had, you hadn’t noticed and fallen asleep already… but what mattered now was that it had not been a dream. Loki was real. He was _here._

“Good morning,” you muttered quietly, rubbing your eyes in the process. With every step you took, you could feel him. You were so deliciously sore you wondered how you would survive work today. “I feared you had left.”

Loki frowned. “I did not. I watched you sleep for a while and then decided to explore your home a little until you wake up.”

He had watched you sleep? That was… sweet. Romantic. A shy smile appeared on your lips. Starting at him tiredly, you stood on your toes to press a gentle kiss on his lips, your smile instantly infecting him a little.

The God of Mischief watched you with interest as you pressed a few buttons on your coffee machine until both a loud roaring and the awakening scent of coffee filled the room. He was so quiet. Had you made a mistake last night? Told him too early you were in love with him? He had known already anyway, what could have gone wrong?

“Loki… is everything alright?”

His blue eyes shot up to meet yours, his lips pressed together to a thin line. Finally, he lifted his head and tilted it. The frown he added made you all but anxious.

“Define alright.”

Swallowing thickly, you leaned against the counter for support. Fear struck your body like a spear.

“I… was it something I said?”

Loki shook his head. “You told me you love me last night…” he started. Your lips parted to respond but he wouldn’t let you. “You let me claim you in the most intimate way…” _Silver tongue._ Your heart skipped a beat. “But you did not wish to carry my child?”

Your eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Child? What the hell was he talking about? Blinking at him, startled, you stuttered. The choice of his next words was so odd and unusual you froze, unable to react.

“Is there another man you have promised your womb? The one you had wanted to meet yesterday?”

“No! No, of course not! I—oh God, Ricardo! I need to apologise to him today. It wasn’t exactly nice of me to stand him up like that…” Changing the topic to avoid that disappointed glistening in his blue eyes was your first mistake.

“You asked me to use protection!” Loki bellowed, interrupting you gruffly. You didn’t understand anything anymore. You had expected a romantic morning, some cuddling and a shared breakfast before leaving for work and now, your world had broken apart once more.

“Y-you… you wanted me to get pregnant?” You choked out, still shocked by his outburst.

“I would not have _dreaded_ the chance, at the very least. But preventing pregnancy with pills and… condoms? Is that what you called them? Is that what you want it to be like between us?”

You slowly comprehended now. He was offended by you avoiding the possibility of… being with him permanently because of a child? Loki was a possessive man. He would never let you leave him just like that anyway… struggling for words, you took a deep breath.

“W-what? Where is that coming from all of a sudden? No! Oh my God, Loki, of course I do! I would love to bear you a child one day! Just… not now. I am human, I am young… I have my whole life ahead of me. I _want_ to spend it with you, and no one but you but… I want to enjoy freedom first, learn new things and see the world before I settle down and take this responsibility.”

“You are not… repelled by the thought of carrying my offspring in you?” He sounded so… vulnerable. He almost broke your heart with his words. He was convinced no woman would want his child… as a _Frost Giant…_ damn you, Valkyrie!

“Of course not.” You breathed out. Tears were swimming in your eyes and worsening your sight, the coffee in the background now finished. Stepping forward, you took his hand and leaned against him.

“Things like these, they are… different in Asgard, aren’t they?”

Loki only nodded, you could feel it.

“Here on Earth… it’s actually quite the scandal to get pregnant before reaching a certain age. I hardly care about what people would say behind my back but… There’s horror stories of young mothers who end up on the street, homeless and alone because they don’t have enough money to care for both them and their child, their men leaving them because of the unexpected pregnancy…”

Horrified, Loki pushed you away from him, looking you in the eyes so intensely you feared to faint.

“You think I would leave you if you were carrying my child?”

You quickly shook your head. “Of course not. But I… Loki, I didn’t know you had the wish to become a father so _soon_.”

“I could not imagine raising a child right now. Not with Thano—“ He stopped himself before he could say too much. Who? With who? Doing what? “But I _am_ the king of Asgard, little minx. In time, I will need an heir.”

Loki wanted _you_ to gift him an heir? Your expression softened. How fast everything between you had changed, now that you had both given in to these nerve-wrecking feelings which had now become all but pleasant and warming. You were talking about having _children_ together—a few months back, you had pretended to be Loki’s pleasure slave and fought for your survival every day anew. There was still a lot to talk about of course, a lot of unanswered questions but for now… you were happy.

“So… is everything alright now?”

The God of Mischief smirked. He nodded—next thing you knew, he was kissing you. You all but melted into the kiss until you realised with a start you needed to get going _now._ The bus would be leaving soon. You could not possibly be late for work, especially not for sex—though it was, undoubtedly, the most pleasant way to miss the bus. Loki would have to drink your coffee now.

“Loki,” Sighing in a disappointed manner, you pulled away and hurried into your bathroom to get ready. _Comb your hair, brush your teeth, get dressed, try not to get seduced by Loki, sprint to the bus._

You managed to do it all in five minutes, yet the God of Mischief frowned when you got ready to open the door. You were tempted to call in sick and spend the day with him instead—who knew how long he would stay before duty called and he had to return to his people, after all?

“Where are you going?” He asked, tilting his head.

“Work?” Giggling, you looked up at him and pressed one last kiss to his lips. “Who do you think pays for this apartment?”

“And when will you be back?”

“Around six?”

“On a weekend?” So even Loki knew about schedules here on Earth. He must have learned a lot already, living in Norway for four months.

You shrugged. “News never sleep. I see you later. I love you.” Yes. It felt so unbelievably good to say it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what can I say? Cultural differences? *giggles* Something tells me they are procrastinating a very important conversation here, what do you think?


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! Another chapter coming your way! Enjoy! ♥

“(Y/N)!“ You flinched when you heard Ricardo’s voice the moment you stepped over the threshold of the office. _Oh_ , o _kay_ — _Might as well get this over with now._

“Ric… hi. I’m… so sorry about yesterday. Something got in between, I had no time to call you.” That something, or rather someone, had pressed you into the mattress, fucking you wildly. You swallowed thickly. It was hard to feel too bad about the situation.

“It’s alright, I thought so. Are you okay?”

_No. I’m on cloud nine. I’m in love…_

“I’m alright. Thank you.”

Ricardo smiled. “So… maybe we can postpone the movie? I was thinking Sunday. Since you got a day off on Monday…” He hemmed and hawed, burying his fingers in his blonde hair.

“Yes, Ric… about that. You’re a really nice guy but—“

His face fell in an instant. “Oh no…”

“No! Don’t get me wrong! I _wanted_ to go out with you but… that something that got in between…” You trailed off, shrugging apologetically.

“Oh. So there’s someone else?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry, Ric. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I didn’t even expect that person to show up like… ever again, he just… surprised me.” That he had. So bloody much.

“It’s okay. It was worth a try.” At least he reacted friendly. You let out a deep breath. That went… well? Then… back to work. But you were gonna have to buy coffee yourself again from now on.

 

A few hours in, you had already finished three articles. You were about to copy some documents your boss had given you to work on for the rest of the day when suddenly, you felt a pair of hands wrapping around your waist.

Flinching, you attempted to kick your attacker, making use of your self-defence classes and what Loki had taught you, only to realise that it was the Trickster’s body himself pressing you against the copy machine.

“Loki!” You hissed. “What are you doing here? You’re not even allowed in here!”

The God of Mischief chuckled. “No one but you can see me.”

“Oh, great,” you replied sarcastically. “So people will be thinking I’m talking to myself.”

Nervously, you glanced at your watch. In about two hours, you could leave.

“Are you really here? Or is it just an illusion?”

Loki’s smirk grew even wider.

“Fine. Don’t tell me. Just be quiet and let me work. This job is very important to me.”

Much to your surprise, he nodded understandingly. “What exactly is it you are doing here?”

Sighing, you picked up your documents and made your way back to your desk, hoping that no one would hear you speak. “I write articles that get printed in a magazine. News on fashion, celebrities and lifestyle.”

“You get paid for that?”

You nodded. “Of course I do. It’s my job. I told you before, I need to pay my bills somehow.”

“You will not have to pay for anything once you live with me.” He mused simply. You stopped dead in your tracks. _Once_ you would live with me? Had he… already decided that you would? Swallowing thickly, you glanced at him so innocently he reached up and brushed his fingers against your cheek. You instantly leaned into his tender touch before sitting down again.

“When exactly have I agreed on moving in with you?” You teased, keeping your eyes on your laptop to not raise any suspicion.

Loki smirked. “I will not have my woman work for something as simple as a roof over her head. I _am_ a king, after all. Now don’t tell me you would be appalled by the thought of waking up next to me every morning? Naked? With me kissing you awake? Right… there?”

You gasped for air when Loki reached between your legs and pressed his middle finger against your clit. As if you weren’t used to waking up next to him already. Back on Sakaar… you forced yourself back to reality. You were in an _office_ , for God’s sake.

“Loki… just because we had sex it doesn’t mean we can just fuck like rabbits _everywhere._ What if someone notices? I’d get fired.” Apparently, the Trickster was insatiable. Still, he seemed to respect the importance of your job enough to listen and reluctantly pulled away—having achieved what he had intended. You were aroused. You wanted him to take you _now._

Shaking your head, you focused on what he had said before his naughty whispers. _I will not have my woman work for something as simple as a roof over her head. My woman… my woman…_ my _woman…_

“(Y/N), can you send me that article you wrote just now? I need to create the first draft of page seven.” Ricardo stopped right in front of your desk, his brown eyes sparkling genuinely. He _really_ did not mind you had stood him up. It almost confused you… and irked you. If Loki hadn’t showed up… you might actually be dating him now. You almost laughed out loud. He was a decent man—but he would never be able to give you what Loki gave you.

“Sure, Ric, give me just a moment.”

Loki frowned. “Ric? So this is the man who had the boldness to try and court you?”

You stared daggers at him mutely. If you said something now Ricardo would be thinking you were crazy. Well, maybe he already was.

 

By the time you could finally call it a day and leave the office, you were starving. Loki had been “bothering” you ever since, accompanying your every step with his touchable illusion. You did not mind, really—you rather liked him keeping an eye on you, even if you hoped sincerely he would not do this every day now. Some privacy and trust should be the fundaments of a proper relationship. Obviously, you didn’t need to tell him that.

You were touched by how deeply he seemed to care about you. It still felt like a dream.

Smiling to yourself, you took out your phone, pretending to talk to someone as you walked down the street towards your bus stop.

“Hey, Loki, what would you like to eat for lunch?”

“Lunch?” His instant reply sounded right beside you.

“Yes. Food. Should we order some pizza, Chinese, Indian, should I cook, should we—“

“You can cook?” He interrupted.

“Of course I can.”

“Then this will be the option I shall choose, little minx.” Your smile widened. How could this man make you so happy? Normally, you despised gender roles, yet you enjoyed to cook a lot and when you imagined Loki watching you preparing something, complimenting your cooking skills and holding your hand on the table…

“(Y/N), your bus stop.”

“Oh, right.”

You had almost walked past it.

“Alright then… what should I cook?”

“Surprise me, little minx.”

Giggling, you watched the bus approaching. You wondered whether you should stop by the supermarket on your way home, on the other hand, however, you didn’t want Loki to wait any longer. He might break something in your flat with his curiosity. Besides, you wanted to kiss him again.

You practically sprinted home, desperate to persuade yourself Loki was indeed still here. He was. And he literally swept you off your feet. His lips were on yours before you could make it to the kitchen as he pressed you against the wall, kissing you furiously.

Oh yes. He _was_ insatiable now.

“Loki… I’m hungry…” You panted in between his affections, arousal growing in your body. You had been wet already, even more so after he had so sneakily shoved his hand between your legs.

The God of Mischief chuckled. “So am I…” He growled into your ear, sending pleasant shivers up and down your spine.

“Food, Loki.” You still said. “I’m hungry for food, really. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon.”

Reluctantly, Loki pulled away. “You have not eaten since yesterday? Why are you neglecting nutrition? Are you working too much? What about your lunch break?”

“You mean the lunch break you used to _almost_ make me orgasm right in front of one of my colleagues?”

Loki held back a smirk.

His concern for you warmed your heart. It had always been like that, you realised. Loki felt the inevitable urge to protect you, to care for you. He had back on Sakaar; then, so it seemed, he had tried to suppress it but he had failed. There he was, in your very own apartment and kissing the senses out of you. How could you not have realised it from the beginning? Loki _was_ in love with you. He had just not said so yet.

“I’m not. Remember how I wanted to go out yesterday? Technically, it’s your fault because you showed up and screwed the shit out of me in my bedroom.” You raved jokingly, grinning evilly in the process. “This morning, I had no time left and _now_ , I’m starving.”

Loki smirked. “You have quite the mouth, little minx. I would only love to put it to some good use.”

“I will gladly let you do so _after_ we’ve eaten. Will you help me cook?”

“Help you cook? How?”

You shrugged. Even if he just watched you, you would be content already. You doubted Loki had ever had to cook in his life but you were dying to teach him one day.


	26. Chapter 26

He followed you into the kitchen without hesitation, watched you prepare the counter. What about some vegetables and chicken? It was simple, fast and most importantly, it was delicious.

Humming happily, you took the ingredients from your fridge and poured some oil into two frying pans. Loki never took his blue eyes off you. It was amusing, really. Back on Sakaar, he had been the one in charge, knowing how to act to survive but here… here you _knew_ what to do. You were independent and strong and it made you feel so sexy it was practically radiating off of you. Loki seemed to notice too. Perhaps this was the reason he kept following you around like a little dog.

Once you had turned on the hob, you took a breadboard and a knife from one of the kitchen drawers and got to work. Right after washing the vegetables—some pepper, corn and carrots, you started cutting them into mouth-sized little pieces.

Loki sat down at the kitchen table. His blue gaze fixed on your busy hands.

“Have you practised in my absence?”

Surprised, you looked up. It took you a moment to get what he meant. “Practised what?”

“Combat. Throwing knives.” He said.

“Oh. No, not really. I haven’t exactly had a lot of time for that lately… or motivation.” _And I was trying to avoid anything that reminds me of you_ , you added silently as you finished chopping the vegetables and continued to slice the meat after pouring them all into the pan and seasoning them a little.

The same you did to the meat once it was done.

“How long will it take?” Loki asked, cocking his head towards the frying pans.

“Give it a few minutes.”

“Hm…” He stood. Smirking, he walked around the table so slowly you felt the urge to back away. It was a dangerous smirk. Mischievous and cunning, promising no good. He had smirked at you like that when training with you and oh, he had come _so_ close…

“I fear I might not be able to wait this long. I would much rather eat something… else.”

Your face fell, your heart skipping a beat as he lifted you off the ground without any forewarning and carried you over to the kitchen table. Loki had obviously taken a liking into carrying you around. You felt your sex pulsating with lust already as you bit your lower lip and looked up at him in joyful anticipation, watching him as he tore down your trousers and underwear. There they went, together with your shoes, a useless pile on the floor.

The God of Mischief licked his lower lips as he eyed your glistening pussy like a feast after parting your legs for proper access.

“Loki,” you whispered. “I’ve never done this before.”

He smirked in response. “I promise to make you like it, little minx.” And with that, he buried his face between your legs.

The moment his thin lips touched your petals, you were moaning shamelessly in defeat. Throwing your head back in pure pleasure, you jerked every single time his tongue darted out to taste your juices, flick over your clit or circle your entrance teasingly. He pushed his tongue into you, lapping up your arousal and groaning approvingly before focusing on your most sensitive bundle of nerves. He nibbled on it, sucked it into his mouth, played with it with his tongue and even gently bit it.

He was so invested in eating you out he had closed his eyes.

“Ohhh… Loki…” There was no way to control it. Bucking your hips to meet him, your hands covered his. He had gripped your thighs tightly, making sure you did not back away from him. He groaned once more when you buried them in his raven hair, the vibrations of his smooth voice sending you straight over the edge.

Loki kept on licking your pussy until you stopped shaking and twitching, your juices coating his mouth. He could _taste_ your orgasm.

There was a cold shiver on your wet sex when he pulled away, licking his lips lusciously. They were glistening with your arousal.

“You taste _ravishing_ , little minx.”

Panting, you giggled at him, allowed him to pull you close and kiss you. You could taste yourself on him, your eyes falling shut as you wrapped your arms around him and slipped your tongue into his mouth.

“I love you…” You murmured. And every single time you said it, it felt even better. You knew he would not say it back right away. You did not expect him to and you certainly would not force him to.

Loki seemed to have read your thoughts, for this time, he did react to it.

“The last person _I_ have spoken these words to has disappointed me greatly.” He spoke gently.

You smiled. “I will not disappoint you, never.”

Peaceful silence spread between you, the room filled with only your breathing. For a couple of minutes, you simply rested there, you on the table in his arms, half-naked and him, holding you like a treasure chest.

“The food…” You breathed out eventually. Loki smirked.

 

While you brought the food to the kitchen table after cleaning it properly to eat on again, Loki’s words back in the office still hummed in your brain like a hive. _My woman…_ What was it he had planned for you? Bringing you back to Norway, to live among Asgardians? You had heard him talking to Thor a few nights before your departure—that it would be unwise to keep mortals with them, for they lived a whole different way of life. And now, he wanted you to be with him? You were glad, beyond happy of course, still, however, you would only love to learn what was going on inside that brilliant mind of his.

He hadn’t even told you he loved you, claiming he was scared to get disappointed and now he already wanted you to live with him. Technically, what Loki had done to you wasn’t nice. It wasn’t nice at all.

Loki groaned approvingly while shoving the first bite of your late lunch into his mouth. A giggle escaped your lips.

“I’m glad you like it.” You said amused, emptying your own plate in no time. Apparently, orgasms made you even hungrier—a good thing to know. “I… Loki, can I ask you something?” You added more serious then.

“You just did, little minx.”

Rolling your eyes, you gently kicked him in the shin. This was important. Sitting at the kitchen table and eating with him proved to pose the perfect time to talk.

“I mean… why now? After four months? Did you plan this?” You asked coyly, hiding the rising anger in your voice.  The thin bubble you were floating in threatened to pop with a start. Yet this was something you needed to know. You had been avoiding it for way too long already.

“I did not. I believed my mind would no longer bother me with thoughts about you once you left.” _Ouch._ “I have never harboured proper romantic feelings for a woman before. I must admit… it took me a while to realise. Back on Sakaar I never wondered why I kept you around for a long time.” Until he understood he cared for you? “The day you left… I almost held you back.” _Romantic feelings._ Your heart skipped a beat.

He must have been convinced he would forget you—just like you had attempted to forget him. But it hadn’t worked. Fate hate bound you together the first day you had met in New York City. The way you had looked at him… back then, you could never have imagined to once be telling this man you loved him. But you did.

“I could not be sure you felt the same, I only assumed it… until we almost kissed. When Thor reported you were feeling unwell, I knew there was only one reason why. You were devastated the day you found out about Valkyrie’s and my engagement.” He continued, noticing idly you wanted answers.

“The longest time I was convinced you would never even look at me twice. Compared to her, I am mortal, and weak and—“

“You are _not_ weak, (Y/N).” Surprised, you looked up again, meeting his blue eyes.

“I-I… I just never had any hopes. That’s why I never told you.” You would die for him. You had known the day you had fought with him on the rainbow bridge. It took you a moment to process his words. “I mean… You _assumed_ … and still, you decided to announce your dumb marriage right in front of me? You _knew_ I was devastated? What the hell, Loki?”

The God of Mischief frowned. “I hardly had a choice in that matter, little minx.”

“You had the choice to tell me earlier, Loki. Valkyrie is the woman who told you you’re a monster, in case you have forgotten. Do you have _any_ idea how I felt? I was on a different planet, for Fuck’s sake, I was the only human, my best friend had gotten killed by an evil goddess and I was so _fucking_ scared! As if this wasn’t bad enough already…” Frankly, you had no idea where this sudden rage was coming from. It felt like with a start, all of this bottled anger now broke free with Loki shattering the glass to millions of tiny pieces.

“You cried the day you left.” _Did it break your heart as well as mine?_

“Oh, really?” You remarked sarcastically instead.

Loki glared at you now, his blue gaze darkening threateningly. “Watch your tone.” Your face fell, your lips parting in shock.

“Excuse me?! You don’t get to order me to be quiet, do you hear me? Loki… you showed up here after _months_. You… I… do you realise how relieved I was? How relieved I still am that you are here although you should probably be planning a bloody wedding right now? But that… that doesn’t mean you can bully me about!” You bellowed.

“I am _not_ bullying you about.” Still, Loki was oddly calm. It drove you insane.

“No? What about Ricardo? You forbad me to meet him before subtly telling me that you are my king and I am to obey you. What happened, is the air in Norway too thin? You just… you don’t get to kiss me like you did without explaining things.” You never noticed the tears forming in your eyes. You were devastated. Happy and angry and sad at the very same time. Why was love so complicated?

Finally, Loki snapped, the bubble popped with a start. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, his lips pressed together to a thin line.

Were you being unfair? You knew what Loki had been through and how he had never experienced proper love. Maybe this was his way of proving he loved you too, even if he did not yet say it out loud. But… this wasn’t your fault. Loki had some apologising to do. Just because you saw the world around you through pink glasses, that didn’t mean you were going to let him treat you like that, even if you had to destroy the perfect afterglow of a passionate oral sex session.

“What was I supposed to do?! What do you want me to say to you, (Y/N)?!”

“WELL, HOW ABOUT 'I'M SORRY’?!”

The God of Mischief silenced. Taking a step back, his lips parted as if he was unsure of what to say.

“(Y/N)… I am not one of those men you read about in books. I am _not_ the hero in your story.”

Your lower lip was shaking when you answered him. “I don’t want you to be the hero, I want _you_ , I fell for _you_. You just… you hurt me. More than you might think. I … I want to know if you even care about—“

Loki shut you up by pressing his lips against yours. With but a single, determined step, he stood and had wrapped you in his arms, phrasing with actions what he could not phrase with words. It was ironic, was it not? Loki, the Trickster, the _silver tongue_ , unable to pick the right words to direct at the woman he… loved? Did he love you, truly? You did believe that he did. This… this _was_ his way to say sorry.

“What happens now, Loki?” You whispered when he pulled away, still hugging you tightly. “I mean… you’re the king, you’ll eventually have to go back, won’t you?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “But I will not leave you here, little minx.”

“So you… really want to take me with you?”

Loki frowned. “Would you not want that? You seem rather horrified by the thought.”

“No, I do! Of course, I want to be with you … I just don’t speak Norwegian. I rather like my job too, I love it, in fact. It’s just… fast. And what about Valkyrie?” _Besides, you have chosen it_ for _me, not asked me about it first_ , you added silently. You only kept quiet because his bossiness somewhat aroused you as well and that both terrified and excited you.

“Norwegian is hardly a language you could not learn. It would not be the first time for me to teach you, now would it?” He smirked. “You will still be able to work—if that is what you wish. The Valkyrie is none of your concerns. I will see to it she behaves around us. If she does not…” He raised his eyebrows and faked a smile. “…I shall banish her.”

There was another question, of course. _Who_ exactly would you become in this new Asgard? Loki’s lover? Some kind of secret whore he screwed when the people did not look? You highly doubted this. What _was_ his intention? He could not possibly want you to become… his queen?

“Now come.” He said, waiting patiently for you to finally finish your plate. “I believe you promised me that luscious mouth of yours.”

You would think about it later. Your brain was malfunctioning whenever he said dirty things like that.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked for a new chapter and of course, you get a new chapter! Please note that starting from this chapter (27) there will be potential spoilers for Infinity War!

Three weeks with the Trickster God felt like a year full of mischief, joy, love and excitement. You spent most of your time cuddling, reading, fucking and eating. The amount of Midgardian things, including movies, dishes, outdoor activities and work-related stuff, you were yet to introduce him to, kept growing.

It was like being on vacation and stuffing as much action as possible in but a few days. Day in and out, you took him to your favourite places, made him taste your favourite food and had him watch your favourite movie and TV shows—he was particularly fond of Game of Thrones. In return, he started training you again—and by now, you had become fairly good.

It all seemed so perfect, like everything you had ever wished for. Loki was yours, you were Loki’s. You were happy. _He_ seemed to be happy. But perhaps this was your first mistake. To underestimate the infamous calm before the storm.

You had gotten used to being sore in the morning, when your alarm clock went off and you forced yourself to work. The more time you spent with Loki, the more you familiarised yourself with the idea of giving up your job to go to Norway with him. Several hours of the day were lost when you typed away your articles in the office, regardless of his amusing visits every now and then.

It was one of the mornings Loki decided to wake you up by burying his head between your legs, having breakfast in his very own and very naughty way. Your eyes flew open in a daze, pleasure cursing through your sleepy body.

The moment you realised his affection was hardly a dream but real, he had already forced you headfirst into a mind-blowing orgasm. Moaning his name, you ran your fingers through his raven hair, reluctant to pull away even when you started squirming from the overstimulation.

He grinned devilishly when you finally managed to push him off you, his thin lips glistening with your juices.

“Good morning, little minx.”

“I could get used to this kind of alarm clock.” You teased. “Good morning.”

Loki chuckled. As he crawled back up to kiss you, hovering above you protectively, you felt so content he was with you the feeling almost had you cry out of pure content.

“I am _this_ close to calling in sick and spending the whole day in bed with you.” You exclaimed, holding up your fingers to symbolise half an inch.  

“As much as I would love the idea… I will not have you neglect your work.” And that was mainly because he had found a new hobby in haunting Ricardo as an invisible guest in the office. The amount of times he seemed to misplace items, drop things and trip appeared to be highly suspicious, yet you only smirked and kept quiet.

“Fine. Let me go take a shower then.”

Your half-hearted struggles to get away from him were only interrupted precipitously when someone started ringing your doorbell.

“And answer the door.” You added, nodding. You would have to put on some clothes for that first though.

Interesting, really, for usually, the postman didn’t make it to your apartment until ten. When the unknown visitor, however, added his fists to bang against the wood of your door, you frowned. Loki shot up from the bed in an instant, seemingly ready to manifest some daggers to defend you.

Your heart almost melted at the thought and yet, you let out a sigh of relief when you heard Thor’s voice outside your apartment.

“Loki? Loki! (Y/N)! (Y/N)! Loki! Are you here? Is anyone?”

“What’s Thor doing here?” You asked, moving to look the God of Mischief in the eye.

Loki’s blue eyes met yours, his face expressionless. “It can’t be good.”

It was all he said before rushing over to the door, magicking some garments on himself as he approached it.

“Brother.” Thor was wearing casual Midgardian clothes to blend in. The artificial light in the hallway reflected in his metal eye patch, his brows furrowed as he stared Loki down. “We need to speak. It is urgent. (Y/N).” His gaze turned to you, dressed in nothing more than your bathrobe.

He smiled, then hugged you briefly, much to Loki’s dismay. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“I see you, uh, you and Loki are finally…”

“Yes.” You confirmed gently.

“Thor, what is it?”

The Thunderer sighed. “Heimdall can sense it, we have told you before. Disruption, imbalance.  Someone… some _thing_ is coming, he has been worried for days. The people are starting to notice, they are anxious and they need you to reassure them.” Hearing such words from his brother must have been pure satisfaction, knowing that not Thor could calm their folk but only their rightful king. Loki must have done an incredible job in Norway, after you’d left.

Yet, he hesitated. As he pursed his lips and shot you an insecure glance, you could clearly tell whatever he feared Thor was talking about, was to remain a secret. You had long ceased to question the God of Mischief’s choices—all of them he had purposely, carefully crafted, after all and all of his actions made perfect sense one way or another. You trusted him to make this right.

“I get it. I’m late for work anyway. I’ll be back around six, should I bring some takeaway with me?”

Smiling sweetly, you stood on your toes when he nodded, leaning forward to kiss him. Then, you disappeared into the bathroom and got ready, trying hard not to eavesdrop. You soon realised it was pointless, for Loki had already used a spell to avoid any unwanted ears.

* * *

“(Y/N)? Do you have a moment?” You looked up from your laptop when you heard your bosses’ voice. There she stood, next to your desk, impatient and quite frankly… not pleased.

Uneasy, you cleared your throat. “Um… sure. Is there a problem?”

“I’m afraid there is. Have you submitted the proof-read articles to Sarah yet? They were due this morning. It’s noon now, she just called in and told me she hasn’t received a thing.”

Instantly, your eyes widened. “Oh, shit! I am… I am _so_ sorry. I forgot. I will send them right away.”

Your boss nodded. “In addition to that, that article you were supposed to write about Karl Lagerfeld… it’s _full_ of mistakes. You usually write the best stuff, (Y/N), is everything alright with you?”

One of the likable things about this magazine was that its producers were actually humane.

“God… I… I am, really. It’s just…” You still hadn’t heard from Loki. Ever since you had left this morning, leaving the brothers behind, your surroundings were eerily calm. Loki usually announced himself by messing up Ricardo’s desk, today, however, the office was unusually quiet.

“My… boyfriend, it’s complicated… he might be in trouble. I really am sorry, this won’t happen again.” Only when you spoke it out loud did you realise that your words could, in fact, be true. _Disruption, imbalance…_ what were they going to deal with?

She nodded once more. “Don’t worry about it. Send Sarah the articles and proof-read the one about Lagerfeld again and I’ll be happy to send you home early.”

“Thank you so much, I really appreciate that.” With one final nod, your boss turned on her heel and left the office to return to her own. You listened to her heels connecting with the floor again and again when suddenly, you felt a pair of arms gripping your shoulders. Flinching, you suppressed a scream and turned around, almost falling off your chair in the process.

“Loki! Are you mad, don’t scare me like that!” You hissed, glaring at him as you did. It took you several seconds to notice your co-workers were able to see him as well—and right next to him, there was Thor, the same concerned expression on his face as before. Whispers echoed through the room.

“We need to leave. Now.” Loki stated, his stern tone allowing no contradiction.

“W-what? What do you mean, we need to leave now? I can’t leave, I’m at work!”

“(Y/N), I will not ask you again.” His blue eyes were sparkling with panic. Something was up. He instantly infected you.

“Where to?” You muttered, swallowing thickly.

“Norway. For now.”

Thor took a deep breath. It was clear he was already repeating himself when he spoke up. “Loki, do you _truly_ think it’s a good idea to bring her along? She’d be much safer here, among—“

“I will _not_ leave her behind, brother.”

“Guys… I can hear you. And so can everyone else. Loki, please calm down. What’s going on anyway? Can you tell me?”

The Trickster shook his head.

“Not here. We leave now. Come on, little minx. Please.” Please? He had sounded harsh at first, now, however, he seemed almost desperate. Sighing loudly, you nodded and stood from your chair.

“How did you get here? I mean, how did Thor get here?”

“Strange created a portal for us. We don’t have much time.” Loki explained.

“It’s how I got here so quick.” Thor added. “It’s in the tiny room back there.”

You had no time to pack, no time to question, not even time to let your boss know you wouldn’t be sending that e-mail after all.

Your limbs were shaking when you allowed Loki to wrap his arm around your waist and lead you to the copy room, an orange portal already throwing sparks in the middle of it—the other end promising the vast landscapes of Norway and a bunch of Asgardians scurrying around like ants.

Then, you stepped through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking about how to get to Infinity War without messing up my plotline for a long while. This seemed to be the best way to go with it in the end, letting RC and Loki spend some more time together before the next catastrophe approaches and destroys the peace that was already so hard-won at the end of Thor Ragnarok. Now… what do you think is going to happen next?


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s another favourite chapter of mine. Enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Loki was greeted by his people like and old but much respected friend—much to your surprise. Had they finally accepted him, did they acknowledge him the way he deserved it? Or was it for Thor’s sake they all pretended?

Either way, it filled you with pride the Asgardians kneeled in before him when he approached the village, his severe expression instantly raising suspicion and fear. Strange nodded at you both, his lips curling up to a tiny smile upon seeing you despite his obvious dislike for Loki.

“Good to see you, (Y/N). How are you?” He began. Smiling, you returned his nod.

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

“Where is Valkyrie?” Loki asked, his blue eyes scanning his environment. “Tell her to ready the ship.” You barely managed to follow him as his steps were quick and determined.

“What is it you’re planning, evacuating the entire village?” Thor roared.

Loki shot him a deadly glare. “No. Find Heimdall. Bring him to me. We need to lure him away _before_ he finds us.”

The Thunderer only nodded, puzzled and unable to follow his brother’s instructions and yet, he said nothing when he disappeared and went to search for the game keeper. Strange joined him.

“Who? Before who finds us, Loki?” You finally choked out. His anxiety was affecting you, _in_ fecting you.

Four months had worked miracles on the tiny Asgardian village. Loki’s own four walls resembled a small palace now—pure luxury compared to the provisory tents they had set up before. How could he have been content with your tiny apartment when he had _this_ in Norway?

Still, you made a mental note that you would take your time to admire his new chambers and the many books he had placed on the golden shelves a little later, when things had calmed again. And you sincerely hoped that they would.

“You will stay here with my people, yes? They will protect you with their lives. It cannot be me this time.” _He is going to leave you_ , a quiet voice in your head whispered. Hot tears formed in your eyes, worsening your sight in an instant.

“Loki, what are you not telling me? You’re scaring me!”

The God of Mischief hesitated. “First you must know… that it was never my intention to bring anyone in danger. I fled, believing crudely I would be safe.”

“Loki…”

“Thanos.” He interrupted you sharply.

Thanos? You had heard his name before. Loki had mentioned it once. Frowning, your lips parted as you waited for him to continue. “He is a Titan, attempting to collect all of the six Infinity Stones to restore the universe by wiping half of it from existence.”

“So… he’s what’s causing all of this imbalance and disruption Heimdall was speaking about?”

Loki nodded seriously. “I have met him before. Before New York.” He said.

“Before… you… you mean _he_ sent you?”

Silence. “My sceptre. The mind stone… was given to me by him. He…” Loki took a deep breath, almost as if it pained him to speak of it. “…tortured me for months when I fell from the Bifrost, making me compliant for his schemes. In the end, I agreed to retrieve the Tesseract from Earth. He used my rejection… to convince me.” _The wish to finally be validated as a true king…_

Realising you were crying only when Loki stepped forward and gently wiped them from your cheeks with his thumbs, you held your breath. You could practically feel the pain radiating off of him, the memories of the Titan haunting his mind.

One night, after ripping you from slumber with his heavy breathing, he had told you he was being martyred by nightmares. Was he the reason for them?

“When I did not succeed… Thanos is ruthless. I doubt he will rest until he has killed me, Thor and our people in exchange for my failure.”

“B-but… but all of this… do you truly think he’ll come back for you, just to… to kill you?” Your voice was shaking. All the blame, all the hatred and all the despite the people of Midgard _and_ Asgard had met him with… it had never been his fault. Loki had been just another victim, another, wonderful man falling into the hands of a mad being from outer space.

You were _done_ dealing with beings from outer space. First Hela, now Thanos… if Loki got hurt in any way, your heart would shatter, that you were sure of.

Again, Loki shook his head. “He is looking for the Tesseract. Odin locked it away in Asgard’s treasure vaults after my… unsuccessful attempt to take over Midgard.”

“That means it was destroyed, along with the planet? He will never find it then.” You exclaimed. Your hope, however, died down quickly. You knew what Loki was going to tell you before he spoke up. The way his blue eyes glistened—shame, regret and at the very same time, mischief, gave him away. Perhaps you were the first person to be able to read the Trickster—at least when he allowed you to.

“It was not destroyed. I took it. Right before I resurrected Surtur. Thanos is after it.”

“Loki, no…”

“If Thanos makes it to Earth, we will all be dead.” _He is going to leave you again_ , the voice in your head repeated mockingly. More tears flooded your eyes. “So I shall lure him away.”

“You will give it to him.” You concluded, barely able to speak properly. Loki’s thumbs wiped your cheeks once more. The gesture was oddly soothing, despite the horrible topic you were talking about. “Why? Why did you take it?!” Loki didn’t answer.

“It might be our only chance. Valkyrie and Korg will stay with you. They will protect the people and you, together with what is left of the einherjer.”

“Does Thor know?” You asked. Your attempt not to sound too reproachful failed. Loki shook his head as he pulled you close. Almost automatically, his hands started to explore your body. “You need to tell him. Please…”

“Tomorrow. If this is our last night, I shall make sure to savour it.”

His words sounded so final, so hopeless. As if what he had been dreading for years had now outrun him. As if this was going to be the end after all…

 

Loki had it all planned out. He didn’t tell you, of course but you were very well aware each of his moves was thoroughly calculated and still, he scared the hell out of you. Not even when Asgard was destroyed, Loki had been this electrified.

Thor knew now. He had told him first thing in the morning, warning him about the deadly threat approaching him. You had joined him when he did, supporting him by simply holding his hand. It took the God of Thunder a while to comprehend it had indeed been Thanos’s actions back in New York, not just Loki’s. And he was now willing to do anything in their power to stop him.

The plan was, quite simply, to flee. Loki was not a coward, he did not run from a fight. The reason for his suggestion had been solely to lure Thanos away from his people—and from you.

Most of the einherjer as well as Valkyrie, just like he had promised, were going to stay behind to ensure the Asgardians’ safety all the while Thor, Heimdall and Loki took the Arc to a new location—and the Tesseract, the space stone—right with them to his birth planet. Jötunheim. All of this… in but a few minutes.

“I don’t want to say goodbye again.” You muttered, wrapping your hands around his middle from behind when the last servant left his chambers and left him sighing in despair. You wanted to comfort him so badly and yet you knew that you were powerless against the happenings around you. The weight on his shoulders was a burden you wished to take from him but couldn’t. It felt terribly helpless.

“Neither do I, little minx.” Loki turned around. The cheeky smirk you loved so much about him didn’t quite reach his eyes when he looked down at you and cupped your face, stroking your cheeks tenderly with his thumbs. “Now don’t give me that sad look. Leaving you behind is hard as is.” You still continued to bite back the upwelling tears in your eyes as you blinked.

Your voice shaking, you spoke up. He would this kind of energy. “I love you, Loki.”

His expression softened. “You trust me, do you not?”

Nodding, you bit your lower lip. “I do.”

Loki briefly closed his blue eyes, pressing a light kiss to your forehead before holding you against his chest, appreciating your presence.

“Never forget that,” he murmured. “And never forget I am the God of Mischief. No matter what happens, yes?”

“Loki…”

He shushed you, kissing you gently once more, this time on the lips. Hungrily, you leaned into him, turning the kiss into a passionate fight for dominance, which Loki, undoubtedly, won right away.

Then, reluctantly, he pushed you an arm-length away from him, mustering you intently as if he would have to remember what you looked like. You felt your heart breaking in two when he moved to leave his chambers.

Shortly before he exited, however, he turned around once again, his green cape flattering behind him like green waves.

“I love you too.” He said, his voice final yet at the very same time so devoted you stopped breathing altogether.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *tears up*


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another SPOILER warning for Infinity War. Just to be sure. Enjoy this new chapter, my lovelies! ♥

He couldn’t just leave you now. Not _now._ Still struggling, you attempted hard not to panic as you bit your lower lip and started pacing up and down his chambers. _I love you too._ His words seemed to be caressing your heart, filling your soul with light and joy.

If you hadn’t already wanted him to leave before, you definitely didn’t want him to leave now. You had just found each other, begun exploring your dreamy relationship… he might be the king of Asgard and have a duty to protect his people, you had no right to forbid him to go but you would ask him not to. Yes. You would either stop him from leaving or you would—

The door opened reluctantly. Peeking inside, wearing her shiny armour and the blue cape flattering behind her impressively, was Valkyrie. Your expression instantly darkened.

“What are you doing here?” You spat, frowning at her with crossed arms.

“What am I doing here? I’m the king’s future wife, these used to be my chambers as well.” Freezing, you felt your eyes widening. Loki had been sharing a room with her? “Now don’t panic, we did not sleep in the same bed. But the people had to believe…” She trailed off. “The _king_ sent me to keep you safe.”

“So you know?” You interrupted her harshly. “You know that it was a set up?”

“Of course I did, I agreed to it, after all. Loki would do anything to keep the throne…” Valkyrie tilted her head, pouting her lips in the process. “But apparently, I was wrong. He fell in love with _you_.” She said, suppressing laughter but failing miserably. You glared at her angrily, then shook your head. There were a lot more important matters right now, even if the question that had been ghosting around in your head for quite a while now burned on your tongue like hot flames. _Who were you going to become here in Asgard?_

No… focus on what was relevant. Loki willing to stop Thanos by any means necessary.

Snorting, you started pacing again. “You do realise that _keeping me save_ does not equal harassing me?”

Valkyrie nodded. “It also doesn’t equal us becoming best friends.” You couldn’t agree more.

“Yes. I get it. We hate each other. But I am fed up with your bloody attitude.” You hissed angrily.

“Ha, oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it? Punish me? You’re not my queen, (Y/N), you’ll never be. The people would never accept a mortal woman on the throne, Odin made sure of that. They would be outraged. Loki knows that.”

Did he? Doubt spread in your guts. Were you going to be his secret lover after all? But… no. _Remember what he said_ , you reminded yourself strictly. _Valkyrie is just trying to upset you. Loki promised you would be fine here._

“Loki does what he wants. He always finds a way.” He had never called you his queen anyway. He might intend to rule Asgard on his own, without any support and besides, you knew nothing about ruling a kingdom yourself. You would pose but baggage, right? But did it really matter? He _loved_ you. And in this very moment, it was all that counted.

Surely, she would get in trouble for what you were about to do. No one had restricted you to Loki’s chambers, after all.

Just about when Valkyrie opened her mouth to reply something, you cut her off by opening the door yet again. Sunlight flooded the room.

“I need some fresh air,” you lied, not bothering to look at her again as you left Loki’s chambers and stepped outside.

Your modern clothing betrayed you, of course. Several Asgardians turned their heads upon seeing you here again. Naturally, they had no idea _why_ you were here and how you had stolen their king’s heart and yet, it felt like they knew exactly what you were up to.

_If only you had that dagger Loki had given you._

The moment you looked at the massive Arc behind you, surrounded by einherjer and strong civilians ready to fight for their cause, you swallowed thickly, facing brutally what danger you were in once again. Hela had just taken away their home planet, how would they cope with another loss?

Your eyes scanned the environment frantically to find Loki and you breathed out audibly when you spotted him in midst the forming crowd around the Arc. He had changed his outfit. His casual Midgardian clothes were gone, replaced by his impressive leather armour and the green flowing cape.

He sensed your presence, you could tell. Loki tensed when you approached seemingly undiscovered, stiffening as he glanced behind himself. Heimdall and Thor were next to him, the same panic you had already seen in Loki’s eyes taking over the mood and depressing the entire Asgardian village.

“Have I not told you to stay in my chambers?” He said when you were close enough, his reproachful tone mixed with concern and softness. It was a delightful and delicious mixture and it soothed you more than it taunted you.

“Actually, you haven’t.” You replied swiftly, stepping even closer. “Do you really think I’m gonna let you leave now? _Now?_ Loki, please. Abandon the Te—“

“I _must._ ” Loki interrupted, harsher than necessary. Perhaps it was the fact neither Thor nor Heimdall, or anyone else but you, for that matter, was aware he was in the possession said Tesseract. You nodded, pressing your lips together tightly.

“You don’t. Please, Loki. He tried to kill you last time, who says he won’t try again?”

But your attempts to talk him out this, of course, were all but futile. He _was_ going to protect his kingdom to protect himself—and with that, he was going to protect you as well.

“Loki, _please_. I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you again.” His expression darkened and when he looked at you… he hesitated. He was thinking about it, you could tell… had he come to a grave new decision already?

“Loki.” It was Heimdall who ripped him from his thoughts, his eyes instantly darting back over to him. “He’s coming.” The game keeper’s face fell.

“How much time do we have left?” Loki asked, reluctantly turning away from you.

Heimdall paused. “None.”

“And what now?” Thor tossed in agitatedly, fury present on his face.

It felt like someone had flipped a switch. With a start, the Trickster’s breathing quickened so much you wanted to touch him to make sure he was alright. He turned on his heel, facing you again.

“Hide. Leave. _Now._ I will not ask you again, (Y/N), do as you’re told!” He spat, anger clearly present in his voice, yet the very same time… there was _fear._ So much fear you lower lip started shaking.

“Loki…”

“ _Leave!”_ He bellowed. Flinching, you took a step back. He had _never_ yelled at you, not like this. Not even when you had fought in the kitchen, back when he had not yet told you with words that he loved you. He had now and even though you knew he only wanted you safe, your heart stung as you nodded.

For just a brief moment, his expression softened again. “New plan. Get everyone on the Arc.” He said to Thor. “We need to get the people _away_ from him. Einherjer and civilians who wish to fight may stay by our side. Valkyrie!”

Despite the rising anxiety, you pursed your lips when you heard him speaking her name. Knowing she must have been somewhere behind you, you refused to turn when she approached, instead kept your gaze focused on Loki.

“Take her away from here. Get her on the ship and then make sure our people follow.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Dismay lay heavy on her tongue as she spoke, yet she did not complain when she grabbed your arm much more forcefully than she needed to and dragged you away. You were too paralysed to protest. Too scared to open your mouth and stand up for yourself.

The distance between Loki and you grew as Valkyrie made you board the ship, some einherjer already following her example and leading a cluster of people to safety, all of them eager to leave in time. Only you were reluctant, looking back, longingly, to where Loki stood.

Valkyrie snorted. “Let’s go! What are you waiting fo—“

You felt the explosions before you heard them, a massive ship with bleeping blue lights descending and destroying the Asgardians’ hard work. Debris, dirt and earth surrounded you as both Valkyrie and you were hurled through the air, colliding with the hard ground. The impact shook your entire body, your bones aching when you gasped for air and fought a coughing fit.

The bombs they had dropped destroyed half of the village, the people panicking and screaming, running around in circles like ants in a hurry. Not all of them seemed to have survived the explosions. There were corpses on the ground. Many corpses. Frantically, your eyes scanned the ground for Loki. You let out a huge breath when you didn’t spot him among them.

“Leave _now_!” You heard Thor bellow. Valkyrie grunted as she quickly got on her feet again and firmly gripped your arm, dragging you with her and pulling you along half of the way. You could see Korg in the distance chasing the civilians away from the hostile ship and the ghastly creatures crawling out of it. _Aliens._ These were the kinds of aliens you had seen in movies and they were _not_ friendly. Which of them was Thanos? Who was it who had caused Loki so much pain?

“ _This is the Asgardian refugee vessel Statesman…”_ The emergency call barely reached your ears, your eyes fixed on what was happening behind you. The explosion had taken its toll on Thor, it had weakened him. Defencelessly, he watched, crawling on the ground, how the aliens approached, one of them aiming its weapon at… _Loki!_

_“We are under assault, I repeat, we are under assault! Our population is made up of Asgardian families, we have very few soldiers here. We are about to leave the Earth atmosphere, I repeat, we are about to leave the Earth atmosphere.”_

No. You were not going to leave him. You _couldn’t._ Fuck his stupid order! He wanted you safe but what good would that do if he did not live to witness it?

Valkyrie frowned when you turned, facing her with an anxious expression plastered on your face. “I’m sorry.” You said. Hatred was no longer important, not now and not here. What you were about to do would cause you both a lot of trouble.

“For what?”

Loki had done an excellent job with training you. When you brought up your knee to hit her in the stomach, you caught her off guard completely. Valkyrie grunted, momentarily letting go of your arm to clutch her aching muscles. The element of surprise was on your side. You had ten seconds. So you ran. Back to Loki and back to those terrifying aliens.

“Hear me and rejoice…” The wind, confused by the roaring engines of the Arc that was now humming to life—carried over their unpleasant voices. A shiver ran down your spine. “You have had the privilege of being saved by the great titan. You may think this is suffering. No, it is salvation.”

_Salvation?_ What part of this was salvation? You suppressed a cry when you knelt down behind a piece of debris to catch your breath.

“The universal scales tip towards balance because of your sacrifice. Smile, for even in death you have become children of Thanos.”

Smile. _I will smile at your corpse._ Shocked by your own brutal thoughts, you bit your lower lip, eyes scanning Loki’s environment.

You needed to get closer. Loki was terrified, you could tell without even seeing him. He was _there_ , his faint voice reached your ears, yet you could not understand what he said _._ Thor was screaming, Loki was yelling… It felt like… like the ghosts of his past had finally overtaken him. You swallowed, wishing desperately to run into his arms and take that gruesome pain from him. To take him away from Thanos and leave this place for good… _closer. Get closer._

A roar made you listen up, crude and horrifying. Bruce! Back-up! You flinched when someone’s arms wrapped around your shoulders, almost choking you in the process.

Valkyrie flung you around, her murderous gaze boring into yours.

“Where did he come from?” You whispered.

“Loki had him brought here shortly before he arrived with Thor and you. Didn’t he tell you?”

Your lower lip was shaking when you negated mutely, turning back around to watch the Hulk overwhelming Thanos. Loki. Where was Loki?!

“Where is he, I can’t see him!”

“You are not even supposed to be here!” Valkyrie spat quietly.

“I’m sorry. I’m… What’s going on here? What’s their play? How are they going to escape with the Arc gone?”

“I don’t know. Thor only told me to get you and the others away from here alive.“

“He will know.” You muttered anxiously, swallowing thickly in the process. “He will come after them.”

Valkyrie shook her head and you realised with a start that the one reason she had stayed behind and sealed her fate like you had sealed yours was solely because she was here to save you. You had been right before, this was no place for hatred.

You tried to turn around and check on Loki but Valkyrie stopped you, grabbing your shoulders to force you to look at her.

“So here is what we’re going to do. Here’s what _you’re_ going to do. When I tell you, you get up and _run,_ make sure to stay behind the ruins, there is no need to risk being seen. I will be right behind you, just don’t look back. You get away from here as fast and as far as you can, do you hear me?”

_And then what?!_ Did she not understand? You were _not_ going to leave without Loki! So you shook your head.

“I can’t. Valkyrie, I can’t, Loki…”

“Loki can perfectly stand up for himself.” She had a point, of course. Loki was powerful, way more powerful than you. How would _you,_ out of all people, be able to protect _him_?

“They will notice us. And w-what about the Asgardians? Thanos will know, he will go after them, he will—“

“He won’t. We are unimportant, we don’t have what he wants. I will contact Strange as soon as I can, he will take you away from here.”

“I can’t.” You whispered. “I can’t leave without him, Valkyrie. I’d rather die.”

“I know. But you must. You can’t help him now. The least you can do is to not get yourself killed.” She replied sternly. Your eyes locked with hers. These were probably the nicest words you had ever exchanged. But the will to keep him alive was stronger than the will to survive yourself. There was no _you_ without him. _And if Thanos kills me instead of him, then so be it_ , you thought.

If it weren’t for Valkyrie holding you back, throwing you to the ground and keeping you quiet… you would have embraced death with open arms if only it meant that Loki would get away. What would he do if he knew you were still there, hidden in plain sight? That you had not listened to him, foolishly, and now risked your mortal life to save his? But of course you would. You didn’t _want_ to live without him anymore.

You rolled around on the ground, your passionate struggling paying off when you managed to use your knee to prop yourself up and catch a glimpse of Thor, caught in pieces of metal, the purple titan himself and… Loki. Thanos’s hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him up effortlessly. In this moment, you wished you had escaped together with the Asgardians.

Valkyrie gripped your arm so tightly you winced in pain as you thrashed around on the ground to come to his help, _anything_ to stop this horror from happening. Now you knew why she had insisted on keeping you away. She had seen him returning to the ghastly scene mere seconds before you had, witnessing a futile attempt to stop Thanos once and for all. No… no, no, no, he had to have something up his sleeve!

You prayed he was an illusion when Loki twitched, air supply cut off. Gasping for air in vain, he attempted to remove his hand from his throat, desperate for fresh oxygen.

_This isn’t real… this can’t be real… don’t let this be real!_

The sound of his neck snapping crawled through your guts like venomous spiders. You screamed, out of control, when his body went limp in Thanos’s tight grip and he threw him to the ground, your outburst only muffled by Valkyrie pressing her hand over your mouth.

Tears were flowing, your heart shattering to millions of pieces. Pointy shards impaling you from the inside out, pain clawing at your guts, your head, your soul. _He was dead. No. He couldn’t be. He’s Loki, the Loki,_ your _God of Mischief!_

You went limp in Valkyrie’s involuntary embrace, clasping your own hands over your mouth now to muffle your heart-breaking sobbing until they had gone, releasing Thor and then, finally, you threw yourself forward, falling to the ground clumsily before you even managed to reach Loki’s dead body, hugging it tightly as you lay down next to him, screaming like a vengeful banshee. Unable to breathe, your strength left your body like a wave washing over your trembling form. “Come back to me…” you uttered, your words swallowed by more tears consuming all of you.

“Come back to me…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I've done exactly what you hoped I wouldn't do. I'm so sorry.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Enjoy the new chapter, my lovelies! ♥

_Never forget I am the God of Mischief. No matter what happens, yes?_ Had he lied? Had he just wanted to calm you, knowing that Thanos would end his life for his failure all those years back in New York? Had he wanted to protect you, keep you from suffering and sulking in the unknown, the fear of losing him? If Loki was gone now, he had died believing you were safe. Yet here you cowered, your trembling arms wrapped around his dead body so tightly Valkyrie barely managed to pull you away from him despite her outstanding strength. Were you screaming? The voices around you were muffled, dull, as if you were miles away, listening to the world surrounding you with thick earmuffs on. Yes, you were screaming. _No. No. No. Loki, get up. Open your eyes. Get up!_ Over and over again until your throat burned, your lungs ached and your voice was hoarse.

Your reddened eyes felt painfully dry by the time Thor heaved you up and cradled you carefully, carrying you on board a new ship. You had no idea where it had come from, no idea who now mustered you curiously, wondering what had caused your depressing hysteria.

* * *

When the shock had finally died down a little and you slowly came back to your senses, however, your exhaustion brought no relief. You felt like someone had sucked your soul right out of your body, leaving behind an empty and dead shell. There was a moving plant, a beautiful, green-skinned woman with red hair, a girl with feelers, a man covered in grey and red skin and even a talking racoon when your eyes flew open, tiredness clinging to your body. Oh. You had seen worse on Sakaar.

_Sakaar. Loki._ You coughed, the horrifying images of his corpse flashing in your mind like photographs. They were fuming, flickering in your brain. A silent sob escaped your lips.

“You’re awake. Hi. I’m Gamora.” Someone had covered you in a blanket. Had it been her? Nodding briefly to acknowledge her friendly introduction, you looked up, searching for a familiar face. _Thor. Thor was there._

When he noticed your awakening, he instantly dismissed the handsome young man talking to him with a stern expression and came over. Mutely, he pulled you in a hug, reminding you once more why it was you were grieving, why you felt like instead of Loki, Thanos had killed _you_.

“Thor…”

“I know.”

“It hurts,” you choked out, your sobbing growing louder. “I loved him. It hurts so much.”

“I know. I know…” He had never been one for saying the right words. It was his actions that he spoke with, the determination and anger sparkling in his blue eye and the bitter expression on his face that proved he was hurting as well. He would make sure Thanos paid for this. If only you had the strength, you would chop off his head yourself.

“Have faith in the Allfathers,” the Thunderer whispered. “Loki has been dead before. I refuse to believe we have lost him this time.”

And yet you knew he only spoke the words you _wanted_ to her. Thor thought he was dead and the finality of his own brother’s lack of hope crushed you on the ground like a steam roller.

Noticing the tense silence on board, you pulled away from him only to realise you had an audience. Gamora along with her strange friends were watching you both intently, none of them decent enough to look away out of respect.

“You have seen what I saw, Thor. His corpse… the bloodshot eyes, his pale skin, the blood in the corner of his mouth…”

“Don’t imagine it.” Gamora interrupted. Her hand touched your shoulder, stroking it lightly. You decided immediately that you liked her.

“I don’t have to. It’s in my head. It won’t go away…” It had been so… quick. So unbelievably quick. Loki had been taken from you in a heartbeat. Just as fast as you had fallen in love with him. Swallowing thickly, you looked around you. “Where is Valkyrie? Where are we? Who are you guys?”

“We are the guardians of the galaxy.” The young man spoke up, raising his chin proudly. “I’m the Starlord.” He said dramatically. “But you can call me Peter.” One by one, he introduced his odd crew to you. You were oddly fond of the tree creature constantly saying no more than “I am Groot”.

“They received our emergency call. Valkyrie took one of their escape vessels, she’s trying to find Korg and our people.” Thor explained.

You nodded. This was familiar, painfully so. You had been dragged into a suicide mission before, stranded on Sakaar. And now here you were again, floating in space, thousands of light years away from Earth. Only this time… Loki was not here with you. You teared up again, your surroundings turning all blurry.

“C-can’t Heimdall see them?”

“Heimdall is dead, (Y/N).” You sobbed.

“What about Bruce?”

“He… managed to send him to Earth to alert Tony before… I am counting on their help.”

“S-so what do we d-do?” Your voice was shaking. No, your entire body was shaking. Despite the blanket, you feared a heart attack when you took a deep breath and leaned forward a little.

“You need to rest, (Y/N). For now.” Thor decided, crossing his arms before his chest. “He’s right,” Gamora added. “You can have my cot.”

Did none of them understand? You did not _want_ to rest! You demanded to know where Loki had gone. Why he had had to leave you. Why he was the one who had been killed, who had fallen under the wrath of Thanos once again. He had not deserved that. He had just found happiness, he had found _you_ , he had told you he _loved_ you… and now he was gone.

“I need to get her back to Earth as soon as possible. It’s too dangerous for her up here.” You heard Thor say.

“If Thanos is really coming for the stones, she’ll be as safe on Earth as she is here with us.” Gamora replied softly.

Never again would you hold him and rest your cheek against his chest. Never again would you feel his tight, warm and dominant embrace when work had been particularly stressful. Never again would he watch you cook and occasionally steal some of the ingredients. Never again would he kiss you. Never again would he tell you he loved you. Was this why he had said it at last? Because he had known, deep down, that he would never get to say it again, ever?

You didn’t realise you had curled up and started crying again, unable to follow the guardians’ conversation any longer. Delusional, you allowed Thor to lift you up and carry you over to Gamora’s cot. You couldn’t remember whether you fell asleep or passed out.

Time did not exist in space—not really. You had no idea whether it were mere hours or days that you had already spent up in the vastness of the universe, only that every damn minute felt like eternity. Without Loki, time was a burden, an unyielding enemy you had long lost against.

“Tell me about it.” You whispered, voice creaking. Wrapped in Gamora’s blanket, you forced your gaze away from the window to look at Thor. You had spent way too much time already staring at the uncountable sparkling stars around you as if they bore answers to all of your questions.

When you were younger, you had loved the idea of going up to space, to leave Earth behind and look down on it from a spaceship. The Star Wars movies had done their job well, you had become a sucker for outer space. Right now, however, the endless darkness around you terrified you, threatened to overwhelm and consume you. Or perhaps that was just all the grief bottled up in your shattered heart.

What would become of you now? Eventually, you would return to Earth, back to your apartment and back to your job, hoping they would not fire you for disappearing, you would tell Karen what happened and perhaps you would hold a little funeral for the god you had fallen in love with. Tears stung in your eyes when you imagined candles, flowers and a custom-made tombstone with Loki’s name on it.

You didn’t even know what had happened to his corpse. Had Thor taken it away? Buried him properly, said some last words, hoping his soul would ascend to Valhalla?

After saying goodbye to him, how would you ever return to your normal life? Everything reminded you of him now. Your favourite movies, your favourite dishes and favourite music, your bed, your couch and any other surface you had passionately fucked on, really… even _work_ reminded you of him. He had watched you writing articles for hours on end, asking questions, chuckling or correcting you when he believed you had made a mistake or wanted to playfully criticise what you were writing about in the first place.

Loki was your _life._ He had been since the moment you had been stranded on Sakaar. The gravity of this hit you once more as you wrapped your arms around yourself and cleared your throat, forcing back the salty tears worsening your sight. You had cried so much already. It was short of a miracle you had not yet died of dehydration.

“(Y/N), let us not…”

“ _Please_ , Thor.” You insisted. “I need to know. What did he say to you?” If there was even the smallest glimmer of hope that what he had told you indeed meant something, it was learning how Loki had behaved around Thanos. What he had said. What hints he might have given to a startled Thor.

The God of Thunder paused. “He called himself an Odinson. Right before he died… he…”

_Odinson._ Both he and you knew how much this meant and most of all, _what_ it meant.

“He sacrificed himself for me, (Y/N). He should have known his attack was futile and I believe he did know.”

You were crying. Of course you were crying again. “W-what else did he say?” You managed to choke out.

“I… I don’t… Something about being a prince of Asgard, the God of Mischief and the rightful king of Jötunheim…”

His words struck you like lightning bolts. _Never forget I am the God of Mischief. No matter what happens, yes?_ Was it possible? Were you hoping in vain?

Thor sank down on Gamora’s cot, face buried in his hands. The guardians were busy fighting over the course, as of now, no one was paying any attention to you both.

“(Y/N)… the last thing I told him was that he is the worst. I can never make up for that. He gave his life for mine. He gave his life so I can _kill_ Thanos for what he has done. And kill him I will.” He promised dangerously, expression darkening. Sighing shakily, you leaned against his muscly arm.

“I want to fight with you,” you muttered, reaching for his hand to hold it. Sharing your grief like this felt incredibly soothing. If he hadn’t been there to hold you, you would have collapsed, your heart might have stopped. “Let me take revenge. They deserve to die, all of them.” Maybe it was your desperation and rage speaking—the words that escaped your lips shocked you immensely—yet when you closed your eyes to listen to what your heart told you, you realised they were true. You would indeed kill every single one of them. You would take their life in return for Loki’s… and thus, in return for _yours._

“(Y/N)… Loki wanted you to leave for a reason.” And he wouldn’t want you to fight. Thanos was way out of your league. But could you really do this? Go back to Earth and try to forget what had happened? _Never._

“As soon as Rabbit and Quill have located the escape vessel and the Arc, Valkyrie will take you home.”

“Rabbit? Thor, he is a racoon.” The Thunderer shrugged.

“I am going to seek out Eitri.” He then went on unfazed. The change of topic both eased you like medicine running down your throats—at least a little. “He is a dwarf, the one who crafted my hammer. I need a weapon. Something I can ram into Thanos’ chest.”

At the very least one of you would avenge Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I am rubbing salt into the wound. I can’t help it.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARE YOU GUYS READY FOR A NEW CHAPTER?!

Doctor Strange possessed an extraordinary sense of perception. With his enchanted red cloak, nearly no enemy was enabled to sneak up on him. It clung around him like a second pair of eyes, scanning the environment behind his back to protect him from evil.

It startled him all the more when suddenly, the cloak flattered wildly, excitedly like a dog that had been promised a fresh and juicy bone. Alarmed, he turned on his heel, facing an all too familiar man only few feet from where he was standing, burying his nose in a magic book in an attempt to stop Thanos’ schemes.

“Loki,” he began dismayed, slightly tilting his head to replace a half-hearted greeting. His fingers were ready to cast a spell and send him flying through dimensions again when he took a threatening step forward but then, much to his surprise, lifted both his hands in defeat.

“Listening to what I have to say might turn out to be in your own interest, sorcerer. And in that of the entire Midgardian population.” He spoke darkly, his voice oddly calm.

Strange hesitated. “I have seen you and Thor in a vision. You are dead.”

“As far as Thanos is concerned, I am.” Loki simply replied, shooting him a stern look in the process. Strange understood immediately. So he was the first one to learn that the God of Mischief was still alive and had fooled death once again.

He nodded slowly. “So what do you want here?” Loki clenched his fists, fighting the itching urge to conjure two shiny daggers to stab the would-be sorcerer. Thanos’ lackeys would be here any minute. He did not have any spare time.

“I demand to know the whereabouts of my people. The Valkyrie and the Cronan took the Arc and fled. I know they have contacted you. Finding out myself would take too much time and energy that I have not to waste.”

For a couple of nerve-wrecking seconds, Strange silenced. Staring Loki down in a scrutinising manner, attempting to read in his wicked blue eyes what side he was on. He decided quickly that he really did not know what had occurred after his fake death.

“I don’t know yet. Valkyrie never made it on the Arc. She stayed behind with (Y/N).”

Loki’s face fell. At the mention of your name he flinched, barely, shockwaves of fear and concern cursing through his entire body. If you had stayed in the village when Thanos attacked him… you had either witnessed his seemingly gruesome fate or gotten killed in the explosion. One possibility was more dreadful than the other, for both would have had you suffer unbearable pain he knew he was the reason for.

You finding out about his coup to fake his death yet again had never been part of the plan. He would have sought you after all the threats Thanos had caused had been eliminated, reunited with you and gifted you that happy ending he had always promised you in your sleep.

“She is alive.” Strange finally added, watching curiously how he breathed out audibly.

“And where is she now?”

“With Thor, somewhere in space, I’ve been trying to track them.” With his brother, she was at least somewhat safe. He knew that if something happened to her, Thor knew to expect a blood bath. Never before had he held anything so dear in his life, not even when Frigga was still alive.

“What about Banner?” He choked out.

“He is downstairs with Tony Stark. He will not be happy to see you.”

Loki snorted. “That feeling is mutual. No. Thanos believes I am dead and so does everyone else and I would appreciate if it remained this way until Thor kills him.”

“Thor? You think Thor will kill him?” Strange interrupted. Suspicion and distrust crawled up his spine, his body language betrayed him.

“My brother is a lot more powerful than you give him credit for.” And he was in a rage. Because of Heimdall—and because of _him_. He silently cursed himself. Of course his oaf of a brother would not take the hints and comprehend the hints he had provided him with.

“And what about (Y/N)?”

In an instant, Loki’s arrogant and superior gaze faltered again, his composed expression replaced by sudden sadness.

“Tell her nothing. Not yet. She will put herself in danger if she learns I am still alive and try everything in her power to go looking for me. She is stubborn.”

“You love her.” Strange stated simply.

The God of Mischief gritted his teeth. _Yes. Yes, he did, with all his heart._ It had been terrible to leave her behind like this but what business was that of his? “Now, are you going to help me or not?”

The sorcerer tilted his head. “Alright…” he started slowly. “Let us hear your plan.”

“The Tesseract is an undying energy source, nothing has changed about that. You tell Stark that if he clones the electromagnetic particles inside the stone, he can, with a little help of the princess of Wakanda, manifest them to a consistent object.”

He hated this kind of science talk. The words lay heavy on his tongue, yet fortunately, they were not his own. They were Stark’s. It was complicated.

“Let him know his Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing system and a man the size of an ant provided him with the information. He will understand, in time.”

The sorcerer frowned. “That is all?”

“This is _vital_ knowledge he must receive _immediately._ ” Loki hissed. “In the meantime, I shall be going to Jötunheim.”

“Hiding in a different realm will not stop Thanos from finding you if he succeeds.”

The God of Mischief rolled his eyes. “I have much more meaningful business on Jötunheim. Thor will need all the help he can get. I am the Frost Giants’ rightful king and I shall return with an army.”

Strange had to admit, Loki’s idea was promising—and pretty much their only hope. “And how exactly do you intend to do that? My portals cannot send you to a different realm.”

The God of Mischief smirked. “With this.” The sorcerer gasped the moment the brightly, blue shining Tesseract appeared in his palm.

“You had it all along.”

Loki nodded triumphantly.

“If you have the real stone… then what does Thanos have?”

“That, sorcerer, is a question you should probably ask your new friends. Tell no one I am alive.” And with that, he dissolved, a green shimmer of light announcing his magical departure only seconds before Ebony Maw arrived on Earth to demand the remaining Infinity Stones.

 

Travelling by Tesseract wasn’t exactly the most pleasant way to move between worlds. It was draining and exhausting, costing Loki a lot of energy he desperately needed to reunite with his brother and much more importantly, to get you to safety as fast as possible.

He could not make any mistakes—not that he ever had, of course, still, he needed to be extra careful about his word choice today. Especially in a place like this.

To say he had missed the planet he had been born on would be an atrocious lie. He knew now how was resistant to the cold, the ice and the snow around him barely affected his Jötun body. The frost-bitten air wrapped around his limbs as he strolled towards the ice palace Laufey had resided in, dark boots trampling through the ankle-high snow on the frozen ground.

His breath was visible before his eyes, white clouds evaporating with every step that he took closer to the species his adoptive father had taught him to fear.

“You…” A deep voice growled. Loki turned, already expecting to see one of the Frost Giants materialise sharp icicles that would pierce through his armour like steel.

“I must admit, I anticipated a little more joy upon my return.” He began with an arrogant smirk.

“What do you want?”

They had no desire to kill him—not just yet. No one travelled to Jötunheim just to ride a sleigh or make snow angels on the cold ground. There was always a purpose; and ever since their kingdom had fallen, they were desperate for every visitor who promised them a new reign and the revival of their bleak realm.

It was risky. If they took the lead or gained the upper hand, Midgard would be all but lost.

“I come with an offer you will not be able to dismiss.” He began confidently.

“Go on…” More Frost Giants appeared from behind icy walls, weapons at the ready.

“Our universe like we know it is in danger. Thanos, the last survivor of Titan, is attempting to accomplish what no one has ever accomplished before him. By wielding the Infinity Gauntlet and collecting all six Infinity Stones, he can wipe out half of the universe… including your race.”

“What business is that of ours?”

“I believe you did not listen,” Loki growled darkly. “If Thanos succeeds, half of you will be _dead._ Do you truly think you could deal with another loss? This place is already a pathetic excuse for a realm. You have no purpose, you have no king and you have no power. I intend to give you all of it.”

“A king?” The Frost Giants stepped closer. Anger was radiating off of them as they circled Loki. He looked small compared to them, despite his wit and obvious superiority. “What makes you think we would want an Asgardian to rule over Jötunheim?”

“Laufey had a son, did he not?” He began quietly. The Frost Giants had never known it was him who had killed his predecessor, his birth father. After Laufey’s defeat on Asgard, they had fallen, powerless without a skilled ruler and helpless without the casket.

He did not have it. It had been destroyed during Ragnarok, however, all of this was information he would wickedly withhold from them.

Swallowing thickly, Loki took a deep breath and embraced the cold around him like an old friend. It clung to his limbs like liquid metal, turning his skin blue and his eyes red. The Frost Giants took a step back, both shocked and flabbergasted at what they saw.

“I was taken from Odin the very same night your weapon was stolen from you. He raised me as his own, preparing me to one day claim the throne of Asgard. It was too late for Laufey when I found out about my true heritage, my destiny.” He lied, looking the Frost Giant he was speaking to dead in the eye. “I, Loki Laufeyson, God of Mischief and Lies, _am_ your rightful king… and I will lead you in a glorious battle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn’t think I would actually kill him, right?! COME ON.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! This new chapter was queued, for I’m in sunbathing in Croatia right now. *giggles* Enjoy!

_“Sad thoughts, little minx?” You were no longer on the ship. Where had you gone? Loki smirked mischievously when you turned around and faced him. Full Asgardian attire, his green cape flattering behind him. He looked just like you remembered him, before dirt and blood had stained his flawless features._

_Agitated, you bit your lower lip. “Loki…” You were both standing on a balcony of a vast palace, looking down at rich villages, the sea and a sparkling rainbow bridge. This… this was Asgard._

_Your eyes filled with tears, worsening your sight as you stood on trembling legs and approached his figure, arms stretched out to grasp him. He might be an illusion, might be messing with your perception. You needed to know if he was real; and when your palm collided with his hard chest gently, you let out a relieved breath you did not realise you were holding._

_Then, your arms wrapped around him, tear-stained face pressed against his body as you sobbed._

_“I miss you,” you whispered, realising with a sudden that this was a dream. A sweet but at the very same time cruel way of your unconscious to let you say goodbye. “I love you so much.”_

_“I love you too, (Y/N). More than I can tell. You will be safe, I swear on my life.”_

“I am Groot!”

_“Do not… forget I am the God of Mischief, little minx.”_

Frowning, you moaned sleepily.

_“Promise me that you will not forget.”_

“I am Groot!”

What? Why would Loki say ‘I am Groot’? Why would anyone say it?

Your eyes flattered open. With dismay, you noticed how they were red and swollen from your tears, your cheeks all wet and reddened. You had been crying in your sleep then. _Again._

Groot had, for once, put down his old-fashioned Gameboy. “I am Groot!” He called out again, looking directly at you. Even though you could not understand him, you had the feeling you still knew what he was talking about.

“I’m alright,” you whispered, your throat sore and dry. It was a lie, of course. You were anything but alright.

“I am Groot…” _Okay?_

If only you could return to your dream. Even if you knew that it was not real and could never substitute the god you had fallen for, it seemed to soothe some of your pain. Like hot tea mixed with herbs running down your throat to lull you to sleep.

Thor was staring out of the window, sad thoughts tumbling through his mind like domino bricks, chasing one another. You could see it in his face. His one eye was sparkling with grief, his body language reflecting how draining the loss of his people and most importantly, his own brother, the last family member he still had, was.

 _This can’t be how it ends_ , you thought. _Not after everything that we’ve been through together._

 

For once, Loki’s smile was honest, genuine. He had not done this often, yet it counted as one of his best tricks. When he opened his eyes, disappointed that Groot had woken you up, the very fabric of reality seemed to close a wall around him, one that made it impossible for him to penetrate—you were too far away and it killed him inside, knowing he was unable to protect and comfort you.

This dream he had conjured up and planted in your head was a small but significant gift he could provide you with in spite of the distance between you. He was unsure whether these fictional images and created memories would either help you both heal or make it worse but for the moment… they felt incredibly good.

“Have you told Stark?” He began, not even bothering to turn around. Doctor Strange was quiet, Loki’s outstanding hearing, however, was better.

Strange acted unimpressed. “Not yet. It hasn’t been the right moment yet.”

The God of Mischief turned on his heel. Giving him a dark and threatening glare, he scoffed.

“Where is he?”

“In space. With the spiderkid. It’s complicated. What about the Jötuns? Will they fight for us?” He asked unbelieving.

Loki nodded slowly. “Do not question me. They will, at my command.” He had given up a lot to get the Frost Giants to listen to him. None of them was supposed to learn Laufey’s blood flowed through his veins. Praising himself disguised as Odin had helped to accept himself for what he was and yet, he wanted nothing to do with Jötunheim ever again. How the tables had turned. He had been with them for two days, plotting their significant role in overpowering and defeating Thanos, with him leading and guiding them as their king. Not for a second did he doubt that at least one of them would rather drive an icy dagger into his heart.

“You would do a lot better if you found out where Thor and (Y/N) are located. I am not going to waste any more time, I need to speak with him.” _And with her_ , he added silently.

“Good. Because I have already found them. I can take you there.” His heart jumped. He was only seconds away from reuniting with you then, to hold you in his arms again and feel your heartbeat against his palm when he stroked your chest, appreciating every single inch of your skin.

Thor would be angry with him and yet he hoped that he would once more forgive him for his mischievous and cunning schemes. His _death_ had been necessary, a trigger for his rage and a brilliant coup to strike when Thanos did not expect it. But how… how would he explain that to _you_? The woman who was not supposed to learn about his very visual demise in the first place?

For now, he only knew one thing—as soon as he got you back, he would make sure you would _never_ leave him again, no matter what. He would make sure you belonged to him for as long as you lived and he was certain that he would find a way, somehow.

“Can the Tesseract bring us to them?”

Loki nodded mutely. The space cube appeared in his palm by magic, throwing blue shadows on his face.

He was a selfish god, self-preservation one of his defining traits. He did realise, however, how important it would be to destroy Thanos before he got a chance to halve the universe like he knew it. Of course, he would be able to adapt, there was no doubt about that but the thirst for vengeance boiled inside him like hot lava. He would do the right thing, support his brother how he saw fit and then take you to a safe place.

It was the most ridiculous picture. Doctor Strange held on to Loki reluctantly, grasping his forearm tightly as they both looked at the powerful cube in his hands. Blue light surrounded them, blinding them both just long enough to be hurled through space.

 

“What the hell was that?” Rocket shrieked. Looking around frantically, he loosened his seatbelt and stood, looking out of the window.

“I am Groot!”

“Yes, I know it hit the ship!”

“Is there anyone out there?” Peter yelled. Hands clasped around the stirring wheel of the ship, he took his gaze off the stars in front of him. Thor clenched his fists, ready to fight whatever had attacked them.

Nervously, you bit your lower lip. You were not ready to fight again, not yet.

“Could it have been a meteor or something like that?” You asked anxiously.

“Nah,” Rocket replied. “This ship has sensors, an alarm goes off when we’re about to get hit by those so we can dodge. Without them, travelling through space would be impossible.”

“There is no one out there, Rocket. The alarms might have failed.” Gamora added. And with indeed nothing out there at all, the meteor had most likely burst already.

Thor’s expression darkened. “Have you checked the remaining escape vessels? Somebody might have latched on to us.”

“He is right.” Drax growled, drawing his weapon. “I’ll go.” Thor joined him. Within a matter of seconds, they disappeared, out of your view. Your lip was bleeding by the time silence spread on the ship, drowning the sound of your uneven breathing.

Both Gamora, Rocket, Mantis and you flinched when you heard Drax speaking up, his feet stomping on the metal ground threateningly.

“Who are you?! Where did you come from?”

“Strange.” Thor added. Your heart skipped a beat. “Drax, stop, he’s a friend. How did you get here? Where is Bruce?”

“It’s a long story. We almost didn’t find you.”

“We?” You could practically hear Thor frowning, followed by an awkward and eerie silence that made you hold your breath.

“Hello, brother.”

And then, your heart seemed to stop beating altogether.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger. I know. How do you think RC is going to react?


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho there my lovelies! It took me a while longer to finish this chapter, I spent the entire last week sunbathing in Croatia. But I am back and I can’t wait for you guys to read it! Have fun!

Loki stepped out of Strange’s shadow and into the light, revealing himself to Thor. He was nervous. His palms were sweaty and his heart was beating as fast as it was whenever he kissed you. Half an eternity seemed to pass, an eternity in which the brothers solely stared at each other, none of them quite aware of how they should behave.

“Loki…” Thor finally mumbled, disbelief present on his face. Was his one eye tricking him? Was he hallucinating already from the grief his brother’s death had caused? But no. Here he was. Alive. Safe and sound. Unlike last time he had learned that Loki was indeed still alive, the Trickster God did not smile. He felt concern radiating off of him, fear of how he would be accepted again.

He had made him suffer. Not just once but twice. Loki was about to say something else when suddenly, he heard two, three, four, five… no, six more people enter the escape vessel attached to the ship. One second passed, then another. He looked at you, thin lips parted, blue eyes filling with tears. And then you threw yourself into Loki’s arms.

“(Y/N)…”

* * *

A devastated and relieved sob escaped your lips when you spotted him standing there next to Stephen. Was it an illusion? A trick? Were you still dreaming? No… no, not this time. This was… _different._ It _felt_ different. Crying uncontrollably, your arms wrapped around his middle, eyes shut tightly. Unwilling to let go of him, you hugged him so tightly he gasped and when his own arms came up to pull you even closer, you had to force yourself to breathe again. Mantis winced.

“Please tell me that this is real, please tell me that it’s real…” You choked out as you looked up with teary eyes, lower lip shaking. Instead of answering, Loki simply leaned down and pressed his lips against yours, kissing you so carefully you were overwhelmed by another crying fit.

He was _there._ He was _alive._ Whatever you had seen… it had been a trick after all. All of your suffering, _all of it_ … in vain?

_Never forget I am the God of Mischief._ Loki had tried to tell you all along, in case you… in case you found out he had ‘died’.

Sobbing, you pulled away from him to take a shaky breath, hands reaching up to caress his cheeks. His beautiful and mesmerising blue eyes were filled with antagonising pain _._

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, his voice almost breaking. “I am so sorry.” When you shook your head, all you could do in response was hold on to him again, reassuring yourself that he was in fact with you again.

“I love you.” You whispered, over and over again. Loki’s grip around your, compared to his, tiny body, tightened. “D-don’t… don’t you _ever_ do something like this to me, a-again, do you hear me?! Don’t you f-fucking dare to do this to me _ever_ again!” You shrieked hysterically, your ranting interrupted by several, heart-breaking sobs.

Then, before he could reply anything else, you kissed him again so hard he gasped for air once more. Desperately, as if he was drowning and you were his oxygen, he clung onto you, unwilling to let go of you again. In this moment, he did not care he had an audience. In his moment, he did not care that he felt Thor’s hostility directed at him yet again.

“I love you so much,” he uttered into your hair, his lips brushing against your earlobe when he broke the kiss to let you catch your breath.

“I am Groot.” Flinching, you turned half-heartedly, watching the tree-like creature from the corner of your eye.

“W-what did he say?”

Thor frowned. “That one day, he wants to love someone as much as you love my brother.”

“Wow,” Rocket added, sarcasm and amusement dripping from his voice. “That’s the deepest thing you’ve ever said, Groot!”

“I _am_ Groot!” He complained.

“No! You’re _not_ deep, you’re a bloody teenager.”

“Wait, so this is your _dead_ brother?” Peter tossed in. Confusion spread on his face and while Loki shot him a hopeful glare, Thor’s short response was cool.

“Yeah. He seems to die all the time.”

“Brother…” Loki began. The pain cursing through his heart was the same that you felt, the way he treated his younger brother heart-shattering. You knew what he had done to Thor was inacceptable. It would take you a while yourself to come to terms with the fact your grieving had been but a farce he had caused, feelings that you had chosen to torment yourself with even though he had been the reason for them.

“Tell us what you know. Surely, you have it all planed out?” He continued. Thor crossed his arms. You had expected him to at least give Loki a hug. He had, after all, seen Thanos snapping his neck like a doll’s… real or not, the moment had been atrocious, visual and intense. Loki did not deserve the cold shoulder, not after everything that had happened.

“I had no other choice, brother.” He was still holding you as he spoke, hugging you for support you were all too willing to give him.

“You had the choice to tell me.”

“I tried.” Loki snapped. “Did you not listen? Do you remember a single word that I said to you?”

Your jaw dropped slightly. It all made sense now. The God of Mischief. Odinson. The rightful king of Jötunheim… _Jötunheim_. Was this where he had gone after his alleged death?

“Thor… it might be best if we all sit down for a moment. As much as I hate to admit it, your brother might be the key for us to stop Thanos once and for all.” Strange interrupted quietly.

Everyone fell silent for a moment. So you sat down. And Loki started talking.

_The sun will shine on us again._ Loki had indeed tried to tell Thor what he was up to. He had wanted you far away from Thanos so you would be safe and to prevent you from witnessing his death. Now, Valkyrie was still gone, the escape vessel’s coordinates too far away to be detected on board.

Strange had not yet found out where the Asgardian population had gone but at the very least, they were in possession of one great advantage—Loki had provided Thanos with a fake Tesseract. Vital knowledge that would change the outcome of this entire war.

“As soon as it is necessary… and necessary, it will be… we will bring the Jötuns to fight for our cause.” Loki explained just then, looking his brother dead in the eye.

“Have you thought this through, Loki? The Frost Giants will _destroy_ Midgard in an attempt to build their power again!”

“I can ensure you, they will not.” _The rightful king of Jötunheim._ They would listen to him. You knew. Biting your lower lip, you leaned against his shoulder and reached for his hand to hold it. It was cold.

“And where will you be? How can you guarantee that they will not turn against us?” Thor roared.

“They will not. I am going to take (Y/N) away from here. I have done everything I can, brother.”

“Wait, you want to leave us again?” Rocket tossed in confused.

Loki’s expression was stern as he glared down at him. “I faced Thanos twice. I am not going to push my luck. He believes I am dead and I would like to keep it that way. Letting you and your petty friends know I am still alive is risky as is. I only came back for (Y/N).”

Your heart jumped. And then, much to everyone’s surprise, Thor nodded sympathetically.

“Hey, who’s the petty one here?” Rocket complained. “We can’t just let him leave! Your dead brother ascended from the grave, he’s doing wicked magic tricks and tricked Thanos into believing he already has the space stone and we’re gonna let him _leave_?”

“I did not ask for your permission, Racoon.”

“Don’t call me a racoon!” Rocket hissed, standing to grit his teeth. Doctor Strange sighed.

“If Loki wants to leave us, he is more than welcome.”

“Rocket is right. You can’t let him leave. He’s as beautiful as Thor.” Drax tossed in out of context. Rocket rolled his eyes. “Like a statue. People must be kneeling before him.”

“Oh, you have no idea…” The Thunderer uttered grumpily.

“He is right, Thor.” Strange tried again then. “He has done everything he can.”

“So what do we do?” Gamora asked quietly. Her hands kept playing with a beautifully crafted dagger. She refused to look up properly.

“Nidavellir can’t be far now. I need a new weapon and I need it fast.”

“You are talking about contacting Eitri?” Loki asked, frowning as he did. Thor nodded grimly.

“Then we will split up. Gamora, Drax, Mantis and I are going to—“

“A weapon that will be strong enough to summon the Bifrost,” Loki suddenly murmured, ignoring Peter’s planning completely. Thor frowned. “Where is Heimdall’s sword?”

“It… I believe it was destroyed, they made sure of that before they killed him.”

“Then ask Eitri to forge the strongest weapon he had ever made. Something strong enough to bring an army of Jötuns to Midgard.” Loki insisted. Was he shaking?

Turning your gaze away from the pondering God of Thunder, you instead focused on the man you loved. He was pale. Sweat was pooling on his forehead and yes… his arms were trembling. Travelling by Tesseract… how often had he done it already? Did it take a toll on him?

Thor nodded, pleased with his suggestion.

He joined Peter’s conversation when Doctor Strange asked for the second escape vessel to find Stark and a kid with spider powers, who had ended up somewhere in space, trapped by the Black Order. For just a brief moment, no one was paying any attention to the tragic couple sitting in the corner of the ship.

“Loki… lie down a little, you’re shaking.” You whispered.

“I’m fine, little minx.”

You knew it was a lie. Leaning your forehead against his, you shifted until you came to sit on his lap, hugging him tightly. Losing him had made you so weak. Your heart and your feelings were sore, singed even. It seemed, however, like Loki’s were too. You could tell he had been looking forward to reunite with his brother after their deadly encounter with Thanos. After what Thor had told you not long ago, you were certain he would calm again.

“Thor will listen to reason.” You started out of the blue, anything to comfort him a little. By making him feel better… you would feel better too.

“But you barely talk to me either.” Loki responded dryly. Disappointment mixed with his quiet tone.

“I’m… because I don’t know what to say.” _Other than ‘I love you’._ “I’m not angry with you, Loki. God, I am so glad to have you back.” You said, tearing up again. “I just… it’s not your fault. I need time to… comprehend all of this. You were gone and I mourned and that pain was unlike anything I had ever felt… Seeing you die like this…” Lower lip shaking, your voice broke.

Loki tenderly cupped your face, a simple gesture you had missed so much. An instant sob escaped your lips.

“You were not supposed to witness this, little minx. I never intended to hurt you.” He replied softly.

“But I _have_ witnessed it… a-and now I have to deal with it, I _will_. It’s okay. I know you didn’t… just… Just give me some time to… come to terms with this, Loki. Please.”

The God of Mischief’s expression was shattered when you slid off his lap. There was a wall between you. An invisible wall that his fake death had built between you and now refused to crack. What was it that you meant? That you would need time… _away_ from him? Time to find out whether you could still be with him? Insecurely, in this moment, he was _afraid_ you would leave him too. What was that again, about him finding a way for you to be together forever? To claim you as his, no matter what? Disappointed, he faced the metal floor.

“Come and lie down a little, please.” You heard yourself say as you slipped off his lap tiredly, stretching on Gamora’s cot only a few inches away from him. Exhaustion won over your body as you fell asleep next to him, still holding on to him tightly.

You never noticed how Loki glanced down sadly at his fingers which kept fiddling around with a golden engagement ring, ornamented with a green emerald. His promise for you to be together forever.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, guys! I gotta forewarn you–Chapter 35 will officially be the last one. I can’t wait to share it with you guys! Enjoy reading! ♥

Fear, anger and nausea swirled heavily through the warm air on the spaceship as it approached the blue planet, dotted with the occasional green forming the seven continents and small islands. Earth. Home. Had all of this really occurred only few days ago?

Swallowing thickly, you leaned against Loki and rested your cheek on his chest. The smell of his leather armour clinging to his strong body was soothing, the calm before the storm.

The tense atmosphere was palpable. Peter held the stirring wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white, Mantis was breathing nervously and even Drax’ stern expression had been replaced with an anxious glare to where they were headed. Gamora kept playing with her mysterious dagger.

In a minute, who was left of the passengers on the guardians’ ship, would split up. Thor, Rocket and Groot had left what felt like mere minutes ago to craft a new weapon, Doctor Strange had returned to Tony Stark, and in a few seconds now, Loki and you would use the last escape vessel to return to Earth. You would meet them all there in time—hopefully.

You hoped, sincerely, that this was a good idea. Thanos’s lackeys were still out there. Killing innocents, wreaking havoc, destroying everything in their path. No one was certain how many stones the titan already possessed. They all knew only one thing—that this day was about life and death.

“Do you trust me?” Loki murmured into your hair, lips grazing your forehead and arms holding you close to his body. Regardless of what had happened, the Trickster was your anchor. And although he had asked you this question before, it was now you sensed how desperately he needed to hear it from you.

“Yes,” you whispered, voice barely audible as you leaned in even closer. “I trust you with my life.”

Loki’s silent sigh, the gentle heaving of his chest, confirmed you had said the right thing—and you meant it.

“Alright, guys, we’re close enough now.” You heard the Starlord say. Never taking his eyes off of the blue planet coming into sight in front of you, Drax nodded as you both left the cockpit and entered the last escape vessel.

Loki had told you he was a good pilot and you trusted him to get you back on solid ground safely. Nervousness as well as terror flushed your shaking body as you fastened your seatbelt, watching intently how Loki pressed several buttons until the vessel hummed to life, vibrating, to take you to Earth.

“Where exactly are we headed?” You yelled over the rumbling of the engines.

“To a place called Wakanda. According to the sorcerer, this is where they will lure Thanos to.” He replied, never taking his blue eyes off the planet before him.

“If Thanos will be there, wouldn’t it be… wiser to, I don’t know… get as far away from this place as possible?!” You snapped, confusion and fear written all over your face.

Loki nodded half-heartedly. “We need to stick around for a while in case Thor’s plan to forge a new weapon fails. If it does, he will need the Tesseract to summon the Jötuns.”

It made sense, of course. Even though the God of Mischief was terrified, he was still willing—eager even—to help his brother make this right. You could feel the anxiety radiating off of him, wishing desperately to wrap your arms around him for comfort. But it would be wise to stay away from him now so he could focus on stirring the escape vessel.

Everything would be fine now, right? Loki was alive, he had a plan in mind and as soon as he could, he would take you far away from the horror unfolding itself the closer you flew towards Earth.

Wakanda was on fire, literally. Thousands of soldiers bustled around on the vast ground, throwing spears, shooting, cutting and hitting what looked like… dogs. Demon dogs, straight from hell, led to fight by none other than Proxima Midnight.

“W-what are they?” You asked, swallowing thickly.

Loki tilted his head. “I am not sure. But I am certain I do not wish to know.”

It took you five more minutes to land on solid ground, hidden away in the green. The jungle-like forest concealed the escape vessel with its branches and countless leaves, almost pulling you in a protective embrace.

One second passed. Then another, silence filled with heavy breathing and the unspoken promise of everlasting love.

“Will you listen… just this once, if I ask you to _stay_ where you are?”

You frowned at him angrily.

“Don’t you dare.” You stated coldly.

“(Y/N)…”

“Are you fucking joking, Loki? No! I won’t leave you!”

“(Y/N)!” He yelled, voice as raged as it had been right before Thanos’s ship had first landed on Earth and _killed_ him. Reminded of the dreadful pictures that failed to go away, you blinked, frantically, to look at him. _He is here. He is alive. It’s okay._ But of course, nothing was _okay_ just yet.

“I am not going to lose you again!”

Was this why he had asked you to trust him? That if he left you here by yourself now, you would be in no danger and he would not leave you to yourself? That he would not ‘die’ once more and thereby toss you away mourning for him? You could not bear another well of these atrocious emotions. Losing Loki had been, as harsh as it sounded, a thousand times worse than losing one of your best friends. You had moved on, eventually. If Loki left you though…

“I will conceal the ship and you as best as I can. Do not make a noise, do not go looking for me and do not leave the ship until I come back for you.” He ordered sternly. Then, he paused, his voice growing soft and tender again.

“Listen to me this once. Please, (Y/N). I beg you.” Your heart skipped a beat. He _begged_ you? Biting your lower lip to hold back the tears welling up in your eyes, you wrapped your arms around yourself in an attempt to calm yourself. Finally, you nodded, sensing that invisible wall that had been forged between you not long ago burst with light, energy and love. He was _your_ Loki. He was _alive._ And he cared, more than anything in the world, for you to stay safe. “Please be careful, Loki. I love you.”

Smirking softly, the Trickster winked at you. “Always. I love you too.” You loved hearing it. You loved hearing it so much that when Loki disappeared out of sight, you slumped down on the co-pilot’s seat and began to cry.

_Everything will be fine,_ you kept whispering to yourself, trying hard to ignore the terrible noises of war, destruction and death in the distance. _Everything will be fine._

But mostly, _everything_ seemed to happen at the very same time. It did not take long for you to hear an ear-piercing thunder in the distance. Hugging your knees with your eyes pressed close, praying that Loki would be alright, you imagined how Thor made his entrance to win the fight. And they _had_ to win the fight because thunder and lightning was not the only thing he brought. You heard them, never needed to see them. He had succeeded. Whatever weapon he possessed, the sound of ice kept creeping towards you, dark voices and battle cries of literal giants on the battlefield.

Soon enough, they came closer. The ice cold shivers running up and down your spine as soon as you heard _his_ voice again almost made you jump out of the escape vessel, dagger in hand to slice his throat for what he had done to Loki.

_Stop. No. Loki is alive. He fooled him, tricked him into believing he triumphed. Nothing more, nothing less._ Of course it was more. The pain was more, the mourning was more but the more you repeated it, the more you persuaded yourself that it was going to be fine. _Loki is alive._

“Frost Giants,” Thanos spat dismayed. “And here I was believing I was the one stopping at nothing. How?” He growled. Who was he talking to? The man was holding a shield, his beard similar to Thor’s. Was this Captain America? More battle cries followed, disabling you from hearing anymore until another thunder shook the earth.

“You gotta thank… my brother for that!” He growled proudly. “He told you… you would never… be… a god. He warned you…” Flesh connected with metal, digging into skin, muscles and even what sounded like bones. Flinching, you chose not to imagine just what Thor had just done.

Was it over? Was he dead? Gasping for air as quietly as you could, you bit your fist to keep silent.

“You… should have gone for the head.” You heard Thanos say, his voice hoarse and dark and dangerous, running through you like ice cold water straight from Jötunheim.

_Snap._ Somebody had snapped their fingers and then… silence. Painful, awful silence that spread in your guts like a virus. _Loki. Loki? Loki!_ How many minutes had passed?

A soldier walked right past the concealed escape vessel, eyes fixed on the heroes before him. He must have belonged to Wakanda, his dark skin indicated he was… coming apart? Limb after limb, his flesh turned to brown dust right in front of your eyes, vaporising into thin air.

Holding your breath, you took a deep breath to remain conscious. _You have seen so many things, (Y/N). Do not panic. Do not panic. Not now, not now!_

Anxiously, you looked out of the window. Thor was not in sight but who you saw instead was Captain America again. You saw Rocket and Natasha Romanoff surrounded by the same dust and then… your eyes fell on Loki. Breathing through his mouth, he looked around suspiciously, unsure of what would happen if he moved.

What… what if he disappeared as well? What if _you_ disappeared any second now? What was happening here? Where had Thanos gone? Where had all the people gone? Trembling, you retreated from the window and hid behind the pilot’s seat.

“(Y/N)?” _Loki._

“(Y/N), where are you?” He repeated fearfully. Opening your mouth to reply, you found it dry, unable to speak for a split second.

“(Y/N)!” Loki screamed hysterically.

“I’m here.” You choked out, crawling out from behind the pilot’s seat. Hearing Loki’s voice was relief and apparently, he was as scared of what had just happened as you were. Your lower lip was shaking when you caught sight of him, waiting for him to reach you.

“Thank the Norns.”

Panting heavily, he jumped into the escape vessel with one smooth movement and nearly crushed you in his arms, thin lips pressed tightly against your forehead.

“W-what h-happened? Did more people just…” You swallowed, forcing your voice to stop shaking. You were _strong_ god damn it. Loki had taught you how to fight, how to _survive._ You knew you would not have stood a chance against Thanos’s minions, still, your voice would not make you seem weak—not in front of the Frost Giant approaching the escape vessel. Loki’s charm had worn off then. But at this point, there was nothing that could still surprise you, nothing but your own, wandering thoughts.

Was this… what Loki looked like in his true form then? Red eyes, complex marks all over his body and face and skin as blue as the ocean? How had Valkyrie called him a monster? This _species…_ it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Loki was smaller than the Jötun in front of him. As he towered above you both, face distorted from the fight, he clenched his fists and jaw, waiting patiently for Loki to turn his attention to him. Your suspicious and somewhat anxious gaze faltered a little as he shushed you, ensuring the Jötun meant no harm.

“I saw a soldier turning to dust right in front of my eyes. What _is_ this shit?!” You shrieked almost hysterically. Loki cupped your face, knowing it would soothe you in an instant.

“Thanos used the gauntlet.” He explained quietly. “Wiping half of the universe from existence.”

“What?! He succeeded? What happened? What about the Frost Giants? What about Thor, is he okay? What about everyone else?”

“(Y/N), please calm down, I can feel your heart beating.” Loki closed his eyes for just a fraction of a second, his lips parting in a thoughtful manner. “Remember he does not possess the real Tesseract. It did not work, not really. None of this will be permanent.” He drifted off. Frankly, he did not sound as convinced as he usually did. Still, he had a point. With a fake space stone, the gauntlet could impossibly channel and realise the horror everyone had been dreading. “Thor is alright.” The Trickster added.

Then, finally he turned to the Frost Giant.

“You fought honourably,” he claimed, silver tongue playing out its compelling words.

“We did as you ordered. Now, half of my… _our_ people is gone.” He did not sound reproachful he had been sent to fight, quite on the contrary—it seemed like the Jötun regretted not having fought harder and brought victory to Loki and the Avengers.

“They will be back, in time.” Loki continued reassuringly.

“We would like to ask to be brought back to our realm.”

“And you may. I only ask for one thing in return.” He sounded so severe and serious when he gave orders, when talking to his subjects. You had experienced it before in Norway and yet, now the gravity of his influence as a king of _two_ realms hit you like a tidal wave.

“Thank you, _my king._ For everything.” The Jötun responded. Loki nodded, then, he conjured the Tesseract. Blue light mesmerised you as he held it in his hand. So much power… and Loki… Loki was strong enough to wield it. You could sense how strong he was, even more so now. Fascinated and impressed, you bit your lower lip as you still held on to him tightly.

“Keep it on Jötunheim and protect it with your lives until I command otherwise. It will be safe there for the time being.”

The Frost Giant nodded, taking the Tesseract from his hands where it disappeared. He bowed, respectfully, before turning on his heel and retreated, back to what was left of his Jötun army.

“Loki.” You chirped. Sighing relieved, Loki turned his attention back to you and pressed his mouth against yours, claiming you for a heated and passionate kiss. His tongue moved desperately to find yours, battling it relentlessly. When you ran out of breath, he pulled away, resting his forehead against yours. “What happens now?”

The God of Mischief sighed once more. “For now, it is all over.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! YOU can help me publish my first novel! *-* Go to http://www.ko-fi.com/sserpente for details or check out this Tumblr post. http://sserpente.tumblr.com/post/176738026617/help-me-publish-my-first-novel I'd appreciate it so much! ♥


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovelies. Here it is. The final chapter. I am beyond excited to share it with you guys and hope that you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Have fun! ♥

Wearily, you opened your eyes. They flattered open slowly, relieved that the painful brightness had subsided and made way for a calming darkness. It was in the middle of the night here in Iceland and when you looked up, arms still wrapped tightly around Loki’s neck, you saw the Northern Lights gleaming in the dark blue sky.

Carefully, the God of Mischief set you down on solid ground. It took your feet a moment to familiarise yourself with standing again, exhaustion taking over almost immediately. Loki on the other hand did not at all seem tired. He was used to travelling by Tesseract, after all. You, however… you were on the verge of passing out, which was exactly what the Trickster had been worried for.

Cradling you in his arms tenderly, he lifted you up again, scanning his dark environment for any signs of life. Here on the countryside, it was even colder than in the rest of Iceland. Vast landscapes and hills stretched endlessly towards the horizon, in the distance, a massive waterfall gushed down into a deep pond.

He sighed when he found a source of light heading towards him, civilians of his own people guiding him the way to the camp they had set up, far away from human life. It had taken him time to locate them, demanding every last fibre of his seidr, every last drop of his own energy but for now, the draining work had been worth every second.

It had taken him days—several days in which you could do nothing but support him with love and affection and care. And it had paid off. Right there, in the distance, through drowsy eyes you could see Valkyrie approaching you both with a determined glance at her king.

Initially, it had been Doctor Strange’s task to find the remaining Asgardians along with Valkyrie. He had promised to Loki that he would seek them out in time and now… now he was _gone._ Even though you were not personally affected by the damage the union of the Infinity Stones had caused, grief settled deeply in your stomach. You mourned for the losses of the people around you, wondering just how many families must have broken apart, across the entire universe.

You were beyond relieved that Thor was safe and sound. He struggled with regret, guilt and remorse, promising dutifully to make this right. Before you had left, and he stayed behind to help the Avengers undo the damage Thanos had inflicted, he had promised to Loki that his sacrifice and the danger he had put himself in, would not be in vain.

How they stayed in contact, you did not know. Loki was no longer in the possession of the Tesseract, yet his magic seemed to allow him to penetrate Thor’s mind to whisper to him his thoughts. His powers appeared to have no limit, no end as to where he was defenceless. You felt protected. Safe. In good hands.

“Is she alright?” Valkyrie asked upon seeing you in his arms, little concern showing in her voice.  Loki shot her a dark glare.

“She is weak. Mortals are not meant to travel with the help of an Infinity Stone.” _But we had to leave as fast as possible,_ he added silently. “Run us a hot bath.”

“Yes, my king.” A blonde servant replied ruefully, hurrying away to do as she was told.

Loki could tell that Valkyrie was curious, wanting to know what exactly had happened that had caused him to be this whacked but she also knew that now was not the time, not as long as you were unwell.

You were almost colder than him when he pressed you against his chest to warm you a little, gently carrying you inside the huge tent they had set up. Warm air swirled around you both, having you stir a little in your half-unconscious state.

As soon as the maids had filled the porcelain bathtub in the corner of the provisory room with hot, steaming water, they left again with a court nod, leaving behind a couple of soft towels for you to dry off.

“(Y/N)…” Loki whispered. “We are going to have to get you undressed.” You barely managed to nod. Loki’s voice sounded so far away, like you were trapped in a cloud. With your eyes almost closed, you allowed him to strip you naked, tossing your dirty clothes to the ground carelessly. Dozens of dark green carpets had been spread on it, making the room a little cosier.

Then, he lifted you up again, slowly and carefully setting you in the bathtub. You moaned as the hot water flushed around your frozen limbs, fighting your unpleasant trembling. The herbs which the servants had mixed with the water smelled wonderful, it almost felt like they pulled all the poison of the last couple of days straight out of your body.

Loki smirked, even though it did not quite reach his eyes. “You will feel better soon.”

“I already do.” You mumbled with half-open eyes.

You could have fallen asleep, there and then, when Loki produced a sponge and started washing you tenderly. Softly, he rubbed your skin, removing all the dirt and blood that was left.

“The herbs work like medicine,” he explained quietly. “They cleanse your body from all the excessive energy flowing through your veins so your body can grow stronger again.”

You only hummed in response. Loki tended to every single inch of you, making sure not to miss one spot. He washed your arms, your legs, your stomach and your chest, giving special attention to your breasts and the sensitive area between your legs.

Your breathing was growing heavier the more he massaged your outer folds and ran the sponge over your sex. But it was then he stopped.

“Not until you feel better, my love.” _My love…_ you smiled, eyes falling shut again. You had already drifted off to sleep when he heaved you out of the bathtub and dried you off, only to carry you over to his bed.

Carefully, so he would not wake you, he tucked you in, covering you with his green silken blanket and resting your head on his soft pillow. He then pressed a gentle kiss first to your lips, then on your forehead before quietly leaving the room to tend to some royal duties.

* * *

You woke up to his fingers stroking your cheek. Sleepily, your eyes fluttered open to meet his blue, a tired smile creeping up on your lips.

“How are you feeling?” Loki muttered.

You took a deep breath, stretching in the process. “A lot better. Just… a little hungry?”

The God of Mischief smirked. “The maids will serve us dinner in no time.” Then, his expression darkened a little.

“I told Valkyrie and Korg what happened. They understand why Thor will remain absent for a while.” You nodded, sat up a little; not bothering how you revealed your exposed breasts to him.

“Did any of the Asgardians… you know… disappear?”

“No. There was not much left of them, after all. But even if they had, the losses would not be permanent. Everything will be fine, little minx. I promise.” His voice reminded you of honey, smooth and sweet as it reached your ears. “Thor will make this right and I will be there to support him whenever he needs me.”

Loki leaned forward, expression soft and caring. His lips grazed yours like butterfly wings, asking for permission to kiss you almost coyly. Contently, you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into bed with you. He hovered above you breathing heavily, caressing your face with his hands as he kissed you passionately, drowning all of his fears and sorrows in his love for you.

He was desperate. Desperate to remove his clothing, desperate to become one with you and desperate to have you close. Green magic, tingling on your skin, surrounded him, melting the Asgardian attire away until all there was left was his godly body, pale, well-defined and strong—like it was made to pleasure you. You loved how his raven hair fell in his face and complimented the light skin and enchanting blue eyes, the mesmerised look in them making your heart beat faster at once.

Patiently, Loki pulled away the blanket that was covering your lower parts, exposing your naked form to his greedy gaze. He longed to bury his face between your thighs, licking his lower lips hungrily. He would taste you. In time. But for now, he needed to be inside you.

Painfully slow, his hands came up to stroke your body. He started on your hips, passed over your stomach and then wandered up to your waist, tracing the undersides of your breasts before cupping them, kneading them teasingly as his thumbs flicked over your hardening nipples, making you moan for him.

He reached your shoulders by the time he sank his wanting mouth on one of your nubs, nibbling on it affectionately and sucking it between his lips.

“Loki…” You whispered. There was another place where you desperately wanted his mouth, his lips and his tongue, yet you could tell that he needed this moment to himself, needed it to worship you. _Loki, the arrogant and self-observed God of Mischief, worshipping the woman he loves…_ another moan escaped your lips, waves of pure arousal washing through you.

His erection was growing. Leaking precum, it poked your inner thighs and you instinctively spread your legs to grant him access.

“Loki… Loki, please.”

Who was he to resist your begging? Releasing your nipple, he instead tended to your mouth again, capturing it in another heated kiss, all the while positioning himself between your legs.

He pushed inside you only mere seconds later, slowly sheathing himself in your core. Warm and wet heat welcomed him, clenching around him as if it would not let him leave again until he rewarded you with his seed.

Loki buried himself inside you to the hilt and started moving, finding a tender and soft rhythm that drove you crazy. Never before had you made such sweet love and you both knew that it would not remain this peaceful, for soon both your lust would consume you, having him rut into you blissfully.

The God of Mischief sighed when you placed your hands on his back, caressing the soft skin and playing with his raven hair. Burying his face in your neck, he inhaled your scent, revelling in your presence filled with love and lust and desire.

Something wet touched your neck, sliding down your skin until it dropped on the pillow underneath you.

“Loki… Loki, are you… crying?” You whispered softly.

His eyes flattered open as he glanced up at you, unshed tears shimmering in the mesmerising blue of them, a few rolling down his slightly reddened cheeks. Biting back your own tears, you cupped his face with parted lips, pulling him closer so he would rest his forehead against yours. These were no sad tears. They were happy tears. He was overwhelmed by his feelings, overwhelmed by _your_ feelings—and you couldn’t possibly relate more, for you felt the same.

He looked you deeply in the eye as he sped up his movements, rocking into you demandingly as he hunted his release, driving you straight towards your own. Panting, you felt a familiar knot tightening up in your stomach, sending shockwaves of pleasure through your body. You could feel your walls clenching around Loki’s hard member, wanting more and more and more—more that he was willing to give you.

Loki fucked you with a passion that made you shudder. Hitting all the special spots hidden inside you he pushed you closer and closer to the edge, ready to toss you down an abyss of pleasure. You screamed his name when your climax hit you, pulsating through you like pure electricity. Spasming around him, you milked his length as it pumped in and out of you, helped you through your orgasm, desperate to reach its own peak.

He moaned and gasped when he came, spurting ropes of his hot cum deep inside your core and filling you up with his seed to claim you as his. Your nails dug into his back when you felt him twitching inside you, riding it out for as long as it was possible.

For a long while, you simply lay there in each other’s arms, Loki’s softening cock still resting inside you, listening to each other’s heartbeat and appreciating each other’s presence—his thoughtful glance to the ceiling filling you with compassion.

Eventually, he withdrew, grabbing the green blanket to cover both your sweaty skin to protect you from the cool air a little. A small whimper escaped your lips when you felt some of his cum seeping out of you, you did not bother, however, to keep it from staining the bed sheets—the night was still young and you would have to change them tomorrow anyway.

“(Y/N)… There is one last thing that I need to take care of.” He suddenly began almost shyly, sitting up a little to face you. You joined him, tilting your head. Whatever it was, you would help him.

Loki let his seidr work its impressive glam, producing a small object in his hands. Appreciating, his fingers toyed with it, nervousness washing through him with a start.

“I was hoping to ask you a lot earlier.”

It was then you realised that the small object in his hands was a ring. The most beautiful ring you had ever seen in your life. It was gold, ornamented with a stunning green emerald on the top.

“(Y/N)… will you make me the happiest king in all of the nine realms, the entire universe and become my queen? Will you marry me?”

Tears of joy welled up in your eyes. Connected with Loki for all eternity, forever together, in his arms, even ruling a kingdom by his side… your lower lip was shaking when a sob escaped your lips.

“Yes.” You chirped. “Yes, Loki, yes!” And you had never seen a more genuine smile. Like a carefree child, he laughed as he put the ring on you, hands caressing your fingers gently as you both admired it on you.

“I love you. I love you so much.” You choked out, fighting back another happy crying fit.

The God of Mischief looked you deeply in the eye, blue eyes boring into yours. “I love you too.” He murmured gently and then pulled you into another, passionate kiss.

“You know… that day? When we first met? I never thought I would ever love you so much.” You mused when he pulled away to let you catch your breath.

“Neither did I, little minx. Neither did I… I might never truly rest so long as Thanos is out there but until then… I’ll have you by my side. I do not need anything else.” He admitted softly.

“And I’ll be with _you_. No matter what.” You vowed that from now on, Loki would never be alone again. For now, nothing trivial or essential was of importance, nothing but your love. Even leaving your old life behind forever, quitting your job for good and knowing that you would rarely get to see your family and friends anymore… to spend your time with Loki, no matter where in the nine worlds, to rule by his side and build a new family, surrounded by his and soon now … your folk as well, made up for the sacrifices you would make for him, purely out of love and affection.

Together, you would survive every storm that was to come, master every task.

Together, your heart would be beating as one.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending makes me so happy, what about you guys? Okay, I lied, it’s not quite over yet–Epilogue, anyone?


	36. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised you guys that there would be one more chapter… and I enjoyed writing it so much! Have fun reading, my lovelies! ♥

“Good morning, Lady (Y/N)!” You smiled at the young mother and her five year-old child, nodding in their direction as you approached them. They were heaving water from the stone well which had been built.

You were in a good mood. One month had passed since Loki’s proposal, the wedding would take place soon and even though there was still a lot to be planned, your heart had swelled with happiness and joy. Here in Iceland, it was peaceful. Thanos knew nothing of your existence, did not care about the life unfolding in the vast landscapes of the cold country.

“Do you need help?” You offered when you saw her face reddening in exhaustion, all the while keeping her son away from the dangerous depth of the well.

“Oh, thank you! We’d need a blessing, Lady (Y/N). My husband is sick and we cannot afford the medication of the healers. I am left to do the chores alone and care for young Ivar. I am exhausted.” She explained depressed when you helped her pulling the wooden bucket from the well and handed it to her.

Compassion flooded you. The woman patted her son’s head. You frowned when she looked up again in awe, immediately bowing to whoever was approaching from behind you.

“There you are,” Loki purred, wrapping his arm around your middle.

“My king,” the woman greeted him dutifully.

A gentle smile was playing on your lips. It did whenever he was around you but now that a selfless idea formed in your mind, it widened even more.

“Loki? This woman has just told me that her husband is sick but they can’t afford medication…” You had soon realised that having the power to rule a people and be able to make decisions that came with a lot of consequences and responsibility, was the perfect opportunity to do some good. You wanted to integrate yourself, make yourself known by little thoughts every now and then.

“I see.” He replied, waiting for you to go on.

“Well, I… could we, you know… do something about it?”

Perhaps it was one of the many reasons for why the Asgardian people loved you so much. It had taken you not long to announce your engagement to them all. For sure, you had expected suspicion and questioning, especially from Valkyrie who had once sworn she would never accept you as her queen. And still, here you were now, loved and admired by the people Loki ruled successfully.

The God of Mischief smiled. He grew soft whenever you glanced up at him like that, innocent and thoughtful.

“I am sure we can.” He confirmed, winking at you playfully and then nodded at her. The young mother gasped.

“Thank you, my king. May the Norns bless you and your most gracious woman, our future queen!” It sounded like a prayer, like worship. You leaned against Loki and hugged him tightly, pressing your cheek against his chest as she took her son’s hand in hers, the other carrying the bucket and then hurried away.

“I was looking for you, little minx,” he muttered into your ear.

“Were you?”

Loki smirked. “Walk with me. I have been informed by the counsellor that we do not have yet decided on a sacrifice for our wedding.”

You stopped dead in your tracks. “A what?”

“Traditionally, a goat is sacrificed. However, it could also be a sow, a boar or a horse.” He went on unaffected.

“Loki! We are _not_ going to sacrifice animals on our wedding day!”

The God of Mischief frowned. You had had a lot of discussions about both Asgardian and Midgardian traditions you would practise when you got married—you could clearly tell now that he was confused that you were not familiar with _this_ particular tradition.

“Very well. What would Midgardians do?”

“Let white pigeons fly?” You giggled when his frown deepened. “We don’t have to do that. But promise me that there will be no sacrifices.”

Sighing, he nodded. “Fine. I will let the counsellor know.”

The wedding would take place on a Friday—the traditional day of the week honouring his mother Frigga, the Norse goddess of marriage. Loki had already picked the most beautiful, golden wedding rings and you had chosen a traditional Midgardian wedding cake as well as a traditional Midgardian wedding dress for yourself—which Loki, as you had told him, was not allowed to see before the wedding day for it meant bad luck for the marriage. The king, on the other hand, would be wearing his traditional Asgardian attire.

“By the way, don’t you dare getting completely drunk! I want to be able to _enjoy_ our wedding night.” You insisted, shooting him a reproachful look. One of the Asgardians had told you it was very common for both bride and groom to get wasted on bridal-ale to last for a month.

Loki chuckled. “Now I would not dare, would I, little minx?”

“Hey guys, what’s up?” Korg was waving at you both as you passed him. You grinned at him before replying.

“You better hope so.” You teased. “Oh and don’t let anyone join us too. You know… to be _witness_ that we consummate the marriage. Exhibitionism is a no-no.”

This time, the God of Mischief laughed out loud. “I can assure you that no one is to disturb us. Has Valkyrie already told you about the procedure on our wedding day?”

You shook your head. You would have loved a bachelorette party but instead had decided to also honour to some of Loki’s traditions. Valkyrie was the only one he trusted with royal matters, even though you preferred having other women around you. You doubted you would ever truly warm up to each other.

“You will be taken to a room with a few women of your choice. They will strip you naked and fill the room with steam and help wash away your… maidenhood with birch twigs.”

You blinked. “I have to undress in front of a bunch of women?”

“Only a few—and you get to decide who will take part in the ritual.” He explained. “After, you will be bathing in cold water. They will then put your bridal crown on you.” He had told you about the importance of such. They were usually made of silver adorned with crystals and beautiful patterns carved into the noble metal, which was draped with red and green garland silk cords. In your case, the crown would be gold, decorated with green garland cords and crystals only.

You nodded. You could manage as long as Valkyrie didn’t take part in it. “What will you be doing in the meantime?”

“Symbolic death.” He said simply. Again, you stopped walking. Your gaze was murderous when you looked up at him.

Loki chuckled. “No worries, little minx. I am to enter a grave and retrieve the sword of an ancestor—to emerge again as a man ready for marriage. Given, however, that there are no graves or dead ancestors around, we shall be improvising.”

Nodding, you recognised a familiar sound before you saw where it belonged, hearing a deep and powerful humming in the air. A beam of light came washing down, forming a neat circle on the ground. _The Bifrost._ There was, at present, only one being in this universe who could summon it.

Thor grinned when he landed on the ground gracefully, wielding his new weapon like a cherished piece of jewellery. There you were, thinking the God of Thunder was busy saving the universe and would hardly find the time to attend his brother’s wedding.

“How did he even know?” You asked Loki with a content smile.

“Telepathic communication. I do have quite a few tricks up my sleeve, little minx.” He paused, looking at his brother with a rather neutral expression. “I did not think you would come.”

“I am not going to miss my own brother’s wedding, Loki!” The God of Mischief smiled. Your heart almost jumped out of your chest when Thor pulled him into a warm hug. “Thanos can wait. He will be gone soon—your wedding is much more important than that murderous tyrant. It will last for our lifetime.”

“I certainly hope so, Thor.” You tossed in jokingly. You squeaked when Loki squeezed one of your buttocks in revenge.

“I brought Stormbreaker.” Thor pointed out the obvious then before hugging you briefly as well.

“Excellent,” Loki responded swiftly. “It shall be placed in (Y/N)’s lap during the wedding celebrations.”

“It shall be what?” You blinked, eliciting another chuckle from Loki.

“Another Asgardian tradition?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. They both nodded, grinning at each other like childish little idiots.

You knew then that Loki had finally arrived. With your help, he had found the happiness and acknowledgement he deserved, even received the crown, and given you back so much more. You too had found fulfilment in the end, you were completing each other like a puzzle. That encounter, all those weeks ago in New York City, all the tests and challenges you had gone through together… it had been fate; and you were grateful—every single second you were with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending a story always feels like saying farewell to a loved one, knowing that a part of them will forever stay with you. I was filled with both joy and a little sadness when I typed the last words and gifted Loki the happy ending which I whole-heartedly think he deserves.
> 
> I want to thank every single one of you for your support and love. Watching you wait excitedly for more chapters and laugh and cry with me made me incredibly happy and writing it even more fun. Having this many supportive readers is every writer’s goal.
> 
> I sincerely hope that I will be able to publish some of my very own written books soon. I am currently collecting money on my Ko-Fi to fulfil my dream, a dream that you can help me realise. You can do it from all over the world, it’s only 3€ and you can remain completely anonymous as well. You can read more about it on my Ko-Fi profile: http://www.ko-fi.com/sserpente. I would appreciate your help so much! ♥
> 
> I cannot promise that there will be a sequel, not at present. Avengers Infinity War left things out in the open but I didn’t want to give this story an open ending, it deserved so much more–but rest assured that if Avengers 4 brings any kind of inspiration, it is not entirely impossible I will somehow continue this story. I promise.


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